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33  WIST  MAIN  STRIET 

WfBSTM.N.Y.  MSSO 

(716)172-4503 


CIHM/ICMH 

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CIHM/ICIVIH 
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obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


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to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

York  University 
Toronto 
Scott  Library 

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Original  copiaa  in  printad  papar  covara  ara  f ilmad 
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sion, or  the  back  covar  when  appropriate.  All 
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first  page  with  a  printad  or  iiluatratad  impraa- 
sion.  and  ending  on  the  laat  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impreasion. 


Tha  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  aymbol  —^•(meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  ▼  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
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beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  framea  aa 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


L'exemplaire  film*  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  ia 
ginArositt  da: 

York  University 
Toronto 
Scott  Library 

Lea  images  suivantas  ont  6t*  raproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
da  la  nettet*  de  l'exemplaire  film*,  et  en 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
fiimaga. 

Lea  axemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  an 
papier  eat  imprimia  sont  fiimto  an  commen9ant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  ia 
darnlAre  page  qui  comporta  une  empreinte 
d'impreasion  ou  d'iliustration,  soit  par  ia  second 
plat,  aalon  ie  caa.  Toua  lea  autrea  axemplairas 
originaux  sont  filmte  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impreaaion  ou  d'iliustration  at  an  terminant  par 
la  darnlAre  page  qui  comporta  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  dee  symboias  suivants  apparaftra  sur  la 
darnlAre  Image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  ie 
cas:  ie  symbole  — ►  signlfie  "A  SUiVRE  ",  Ie 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartas,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmte  A  das  taux  da  rAduction  diff Arents. 
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da  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
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w 


i^ 


M  '  F  I  N  G  A  L 


A  MODERN  EPIC  POEM, 


KEVISED  AND  CORRECTED,       • 


WITU  COPIOUS  AXD  EXPLANATORY  NOTES, 


BY 


JOHN  TRUMBULL,  LL.  D. 


WITH    A 


MEMOIE    OF     THE    AUTHOR, 


HARTFORD : 
S.   ANDRUS    AND   SON, 

1850. 


MEMOIR 


OF   THE 


LIFE  AND  WRITINGS  OF  JOHN  TRUMBULL,  LL  D. 


FINGAL,  tte  principal  Poem  in  this  col- 
lection, has  been  more  than  forty  years  be- 
91  )  Wofj)^^  fore  the  public,  and  has  passed  through  the 
"^^^  ts^Ffli-  ordeal  of  criticism,  in  all  its  various  forms 
of  gazettes,  magazines,  and  reviews,  both  in  England  and 
America.  Being  published  anonymously,  the  world  wore 
left  to  their  conjectures,  as  to  the  author.  The  first  part 
of  the  poem,  containing  the  two  first  cantos,  was  printed 
in  Philadelphia,  in  the  fall  of  the  year  1775 ;  and  in  the 
course  of  the  next  year,  reprinted  in  London,  where  it 
passed  through  several  editions.  The  nature  of  the  sub- 
ject and  the  situation  of  the  times  gave  it  popularity  with 
the  anti-ministerial  party,  who  were  averse  to  the  war 
with  America:  but  it  was  asserted  that  the  author  was  an 
Englishman.  Sometimes  he  was  affirmed  to  be  an  Oxford 
scholar,  then  on  his  travels  in  this  country ;  sometimes  a 
British  officer,  who  had  been  superceded  in  their  service, 
had  joined  the  Americans  and  written  the  poem  in  re- 
When  it  was  afterwards  discovered  that  the  writer 

1* 


venge 


L: 


6 


MEMOIK  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


was  a  native  of  New  England,  he  of  course  received  his 
due  share  of  that  obloquy  and  contempt,  which  is  lavished 
by  their  compilers  of  reviews,  on  every  thing  which  ap- 
pertains to  this  country.  The  Quarterly  Beview,  with  its 
usual  accura(!y  of  information,  has  lately  declared  that  the 
poem  was  written  by  one  Mr.  Fingal,  who,  :'i  assures  us, 
is  no  descendant  of  the  hero  of  Ossian.  The  Edinburgh 
Review  contents  itself  with  simply  asserting  that  "the 
Americans  have  no  literature."  In  the  United  States,  the 
conjectures  were  for  a  long  time  equally  various;  and 
afler  his  name  became  generally  known,  many  false  anec- 
dotes, and  several  erroneous  accounts  of  his  life,  have  been 
printed  by  those  who  had  no  other  information  than  ru- 
mour and  hearsay.  Hundreds  of  essays  have  been  charged 
upon  his  pen,  containing  principles  which  he  never  held, 
abuse  on  persons  whom  he  respected,  and  low  attempts  at 
humor,  which  would  have  disgraced  the  scurrility  of 
Peter  Pindar.  In  a  word,  to  him  have  been  ascribed, 
as  he  once  complained, 
"Jests  he  ne'er  utter'd,  deeds  he  ne'er  achiev'd, 
Rhymes  he  ne'er  wrote,  and  lires  (thank  heaven)  he  never  lived." 

On  these  accounts,  it  seems  necessary  that  a  short  and 
accurate  Memoir  of  his  life  and  writings  should  accom- 
pany this  collection  of  his  poems. 

The  family  of  Trumbull  was  among  the  early  settlers 
in  New  England.  ♦Their  ancestor  came  from  England, 
and  in  1645  fixed  his  residence  at  Ipswich  in  Massachu- 
setts. His  son,  named  John,  removed  and  established 
himself  at  Sufiield  in  Connecticut.  He  had  three  sons, 
John,  Joseph,  and  Benoni,  whose  descendants  are  still  liv- 


MEMOIR  OF  TUK  AUTHOR.  7 

ing  in  this  state.  The  Rev.  Benjamin  Trumbull,  D.D., 
the  respectable  historian  of  Connecticut,  was  the  grandson 
of  Benoni.  Joseph  settled  in  Lebanon,  and  at  his  death 
hft  one  son,  Jonathan  Trumbull,  who  was  governor  of 
th»,  state  during  the  whole  revolutionary  war,  and  whose 
patnotic  exertions  are  amply  .'ecorded  in  history.  Two 
of  hu  sons  were  Jonathan  Trumbull,  afterwards  governor 
of  the  state,  and  John  Trumbull,  the  celebrated  painter, 
whose  nerits  have  long  been  distinguished,  both  in  Eu- 
rope and  America. 

The  aufaor  of  these  poems  is  the  grandson  of  John 
Trumbull,  e'-dest  son  of  him  who  first  settled  in  Suffield. 
He  was  born  on  the  13th  day  of  April,  old  style,  (the  24th 
according  to  the  present  mode  of  computation,)  in  the 
year  1750,  in  the  parish  of  Westbury,  then  a  part  of  the 
town  of  Waterbury,  in  New  Ilaven  county,  but  since 
formed  into  a  separate  township,  by  the  name  of  Water- 
town,  and  annexed  to  the  county  of  Litchfield.  The  set- 
tlement of  that  village  was  begun  a  few  years  before  his 
birth.  His  father,  who  was  the  first  minister  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  in  that  place,  was  a  good  classical 
scholar,  highly  respected  by  his  brethren,  and  for  many 
years  one  of  the  trustees,  or  fellows,  of  Yale  College.  His 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Sam  ■:•/  Whitman,  of 
Farmington,  in  Hartford  county,  and  granddaughter  of 
the  Rev.  Solomon  Stoddard,  D.D.,  of  Northampton,  in 
Massachusetts. 

Being  an  only  son,  and  of  a  very  delicate  and  sickly 
constitution,  he  was  of  course  the  favorite  of  his  mother. 
She  had  received  an  education  superior  to  most  of  her 


/ 


8 


MEMOIR  OF  TllK  AUTllOK 


sex,  and  not  only  instructed  him  in  reading,  from  Ins  ear- 
liest infancy,  but  finding  him  possessed  of  an  extraordi- 
nary memory,  taught  him  all  the  hymns,  songs,  andothe; 
verses,  with  which  she  was  acquainted.  His  father's  smyll 
library  consisted  mostly  of  classical  and  theological  borks. 
The  Spectator  and  "Watts'  Lyric  Poems  were  the  only 
works  of  merit  in  the  belles-lettres,  which  he  posiessed. 
Young  Trumbull  not  only  committed  to  memory  most  of 
the  poetry  they  contained,  but  was  seized  with  an  unac- 
countable ambition  of  composing  verses  himsel',  in  which 
he  was  encouraged  by  his  parents.  The  country  clergy 
at  that  time  generally  attempted  to  increase  their  income, 
by  keeping  private  schools  for  the  educgtion  of  youth. 
When  he  was  about  five  years  of  age,  his  father  took  un- 
der his  care  a  lad,  seventeen  years  old,  to  instruct  and 
qualify  him  for  admission  as  a  member  of  Yale  College. 
Trumbull  noticed  the  tasks  first  imposed;  which  were  to 
learn  by  heart  the  Latin  Accidence  and  Lilly's  Grammar, 
and  to  construe  the  Select  Colloquies  of  Corderius,  by  the 
help  of  a  literal  translation.  "Without  the  knowledge  of 
any  person,  except  his  mother,  he  began  in  this  way  the 
study  of  the  Latin  language.  After  a  few  weeks,  his  father 
discovered  his  wishes,  and  finding  that  by  the  aid  of 
a  better  memory,  his  son  was  able  to  outstrip  his  fellow- 
student,  encouraged  him  to  proceed.  At  the  commence- 
ment in  September  1757,  the  two  lads  were  presented  at 
college,  examined  by  the  tutors  and  admitted  as  members. 
Trumbull,  however,  on  account  of  his  extreme  youth  at 
that  time,  and  subsequent  ill  health,  was  not  sent  to  reside 
at  college  till  the  year  1763.     He  spent  these  six  years  in 


@ 


MEMOIB  OV  THE  AUTHOR. 


9 


a  miscellaneous  course  of  study,  making  himself  master  of 
the  Greek  and  Latin  authors  usually  taught  in  chat  semi- 
nary, reading  all  the  books  he  could  meet  with,  and  occa- 
sionally attempting  to  imitate,  both  in  prose  and  verse, 
the  style  of  the  best  English  writers,  whose  works  he 
could  procure  in  his  native  village.  These  were  of  course 
few.  The  Paradise  Lost,  Thompson's  Seasons,  with  some 
of  the  poems  of  Dryden  and  Pope,  were  the  principal. 
On  commencing  his  collegiate  life,  he  found  little  regard 
paid  to  English  composition,  or  the  acquirement  of  a  cor- 
rect style.  The  Greek  and  Latin  books,  in  the  study  of 
which  only,  his  class  were  employed,  required  but  a  small 
portion  of  his  time.  By  the  advice  of  his  tutor,  he  turned 
his  thoughts  to  Algebra,  Geometry,  and  astronomical  cal- 
culations, which  were  then  newly  introduced  and  encour- 
aged by  the  instructors.  He  chiefly  pursued  this  course 
during  the  three  first  years.  In  his  senior  year  he  began 
to  resume  his  former  attention  to  English  literature. 
After  receiving  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in  1767, 
he  remained  three  years  longer  at  college  as  a  graduate. 
Being  now  master  of  his  own  time,  he  devoted  himself 
chiefly  to  polite  letters;  reading  all  the  Greek  and  Latin 
classics  especially  the  poets  and  orators,  and  studying  the 
style  and  endeavoring  to  imitate  the  manner  of  the  best 
English  writers. 

His  acquaintance  now  commenced  with  Doctor  Dwight, 
afterwards  president  of  the  university,  who  was  then  in 
his  third  year  in  college,  and  two  years  his  junior  in  age. 
That  young  gentleman  had  translated  two  of  the  finest 
Odes  of  Horace,  in  a  manner  so  ekgant  and  poetical,  as 


1 


10 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


fi 


would  not  have  disgraced  his  moro  mature  productions. 
Happy  in  the  discovery  of  a  rising  genius,  Mr.  Trumbull 
immediately  sought  his  acquaintance,  and  began  an  inti- 
macy, which  continued  during  their  joint  residence  at  New 
Haven,  and  a  fViendship  terminated  only  by  death. 

At  this  period  the  learned  languages,  mathematics, 
logic,  and  scholastic  theology,  were  alone  deemed  worthy 
of  the  attention  of  a  scholar.  They  were  dignified  with 
the  name  of^olid  Learning.  English  poetry  and  the  belles 
lettres  were  called  folly,  nonsense,  and  an  idle  waste  of 
time.  The  two  friends  were  obliged  to  stem  the  tide  of 
general  ridicule  and  censure.  This  situation  first  called 
forth  the  satirical  talents  of  Trumbull,  in  occasional  hu- 
morous and  poetical  essays.  Their  party  was  soon  in- 
creased by  the  accession  of  several  young  men  of  genius; 
and  a  material  change  was  eventually  effected  in  the  taste 
and  pursuits  of  the  students. 

In  1769,  they  began  the  publication  of  a  series  of  essays 
in  the  manner  of  the  Spectator,  in  a  gazette  printed  in 
Boston,  and  continued  it  for  several  months.  They  next 
commenced  a  course  of  similar  essays  in  the  newspapers 
printed  at  New  Haven,  which  they  increased  occasionally 
to  more  than  forty  numbers. 

Yale  College  was  founded  in  the  year  1700,  by  the  do- 
nations of  a  number  of  the  Congregational  clergy ;  and  a 
Board  of  Trustees  was  soon  after  incorporated  by  a  charter 
from  the  legislature.  It  was  designed  as  a  religious  insti- 
tution for  the  education  of  youth  for  the  ministry.  In 
1739,  the  Rev.  Thomas  Clapp  was  appointed  president, 
and  continued  in  office  almost  thirty  years.    He  was  an 


MKMOIK  OF  TUE  AUTIIOK. 


11 


accurate  scholar  in  the  learned  languages,  particularly 
fond  of  the  Hebrew,  and  uncommonly  skilled  in  gcometr 
rical  and  astronomical  calculations.  By  his  aid  and  influ- 
ence, some  of  the  students  were  induced  to  turn  their  at* 
tention  to  these  subjects.  About  the  year  1740,  a  few 
members  of  the  higher  classes  had  attempted  the  cultiva- 
tion of  polite  literature,  and  produced  some  successful  es- 
says in  English  poetry.  But  when  they  quitted  the  col- 
lege they  left  no  successors;  and  the  poem  entitled.  Phi- 
losophic Solitude,  by  William  Livingston,  afterwards  gov- 
ernor of  New  Jersey,  is  all  that  remains  to  the  public  of 
their  productions  at  that  period.  In  1768,  the  study  of 
Algebra  was  first  introduced  by  the  tutors,  and  made  a 
part  of  the  collegiate  exercises. 

But  Yale  College  had  now  become  unpopular  among  a 
large  proportion  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  colony.  The 
trustees,  relying  on  their  charter,  claimed  to  be  completely 
independent  of  the  government;  and  denied  its  right  of 
visitation,  or  of  any  interference  with  the  management  of 
the  institution.  They  were  charged  with  illiberality 
towards  all  denominations  of  Christians  but  their  own. 
Many  civilians  encouraged  the  students  in  opposition  to 
their  authority.  A  petition  was  drawn  and  signed  by  al- 
most every  member  of  the  higher  classes,  addressed  to  the 
trustees,  containing  a  variety  of  charges  against  their  in- 
structors, and  praying  for  their  dismissal  from  office.  All 
authority  and  subordination  were  now  at  an  end;  the  tu- 
tors abdicated,  and  the  scholars  were  dispersed  during  the 
summer  of  the  year  1766.  After  holding  the  commence- 
ment in  September,  the  president  resigned  his  office.    The 


12 


MEMOIK  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


r-r 


professor  of  theology  was  appointed  president  j:)ro  tempore. 
Three  very  respectable  geiitlcneu  and  accomplished 
scholars  were  chosen  to  the  tutorship ;  one  of  whom  was 
Mr.  Mitchell,  since  Chief  Justice  of  the  State.  After  the 
vacation  the  students  were  assembled,  and  order  was  again 
established.  The  management  of  the  institution  fell  al- 
most entirely  into  the  hands  of  the  tutors.  They  encour- 
aged the  study  of  the  English  grammar  and  language, 
and  excited  some  attention  to  composition  and  oratory. 
But  the  state  of  the  college  precluded  any  great  or  imme* 
diate  innovation  in  the  usual  course  of  instruction. 

In  1769,  Mr.  Joseph  Howe,  afterwards  pastor  of  a  church 
in  Boston,  was  appointed  one  of  the  tutors.  He  was  not 
only  a  good  classical  scholar,  out  possessed  an  elegant  taste 
and  considerable  poetical  talents.  Besides  the  usual  col- 
legif.te  studies,  he  employed  the  class  under  his  immediate 
care  in  English  compositions,  instructed  them  in  the  beau- 
ties of  style,  and  exercised  them  frequently  in  public  dec- 
lamation. A  relish  for  polite  iHeratare  became  general 
among  the  students. 

In  September  1771,  all  the  tutors,  except  Mr.  Howe, 
resigned  the  oflQ.ce.  Messrs.  Trumbull  and  Dwight  were 
chosen  to  supply  the  vacancies.  From  this  period,  every 
effort  was  unanimously  made,  to  cultivate  in  that  semi- 
nary, a  correct  taste  in  style  and  elocution. 

In  1772,  Trumbull  published  the  first  part  of  a  poem, 
which  he  entitled,  the  Progress  of  Dulness,  designed  to 
expose  the  absurd  methods  of  education,  which  then  pre- 
vailed ;  he  added  a  second  and  third  part  in  the  course  of 
the  next  year.    Dwight  published  a  poem  entitled,  Amer- 


MKMOIK  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


13 


ica,  written  in  the  manner  of  Pope's  Windsor  Forest.  He 
had  some  time  before  begun  his  greatest  poetical  work, 
The  Conquest  of  Canaan;  and'  now  completed  his  first 
sketch  in  five  books.  By  the  advice  of  Mr.  Ilowe,  he 
added  the  Vision  of  Futurity,  which  now  makes  the  tenth 
book,  and  upon  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  Trumbull,  he  in- 
serted the  night-scone  of  the  battle,  illuminated  by  the 
flames  of  the  burning  city  of  Ai.  The  whole  was  the 
work  of  Dwight;  those  gentlemen  assisted  him,  only  by 
their  criticism  and  advice.  After  their  dispersion  he  con- 
siderably altered  and  enlarged  the  poem,  and  published  it 
in  its  present  form,  in  eleven  books. 

During  their  residence  at  the  university,  several  young 
gentlemen  were  associated  in  their  literary  and  poetical 
society,  particularly  Messrs.  David  Humphreys  and  Joel 
Barlow. 

Trumbull,  while  he  held  the  offi;;e  of  tutor,  paid  as 
much  attention,  as  his  other  avocations  would  admit,  to 
the  study  of  law,  which  he  had  now  selected  as  his  future 
profession.  In  November  1773,  he  was  admitted  as  a 
practising  attorney  at  the  bar  in  Connecticut,  but  imme- 
diately went  to  Boston,  and  entered  as  a  student  in  the 
office  of  John  Adams,  Esq.,  since  president  of  the  United 
States;  and  took  lodgings  with  Thomas  Cushing,  Esq., 
then  speaker  of  the  House  of  Eepresentatives,  afterwards 
a  delegate  to  the  first  Congress,  and  lieutenant-governor 
of  the  state  of  Massachusetts.  He  was  "now  placed  in  the 
center  of  American  politics.  The  contest  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  colonies  approached  rapidly  towards  a 

crisis.    The  violence  of  party  was  extreme.    The  gov- 

2 


1 


'^^ 


14 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


;  I 


• 


ernor,  council,  judges,  and  all  the  legal  authority  under 
the  crown,  employed  their  utmost  efforts  to  establish  the 
universal  supremacy,  and  enforce  the  oppressive  acts,  of 
the  English  parliament.  The  leaders  of  the  popular  party 
had  the  complete  control  of  the  House  of  Eepresentatives, 
and  directed  every  movement  of  the  populace.  By  means 
of  an  extensive  correspondence,  with  men  of  the  best  in- 
formation at  the  British  and  French  courts,  they  were  fully 
convinced,  at  that  early  period,  that  nothing  short  of  war- 
like resistance,  could  successfully  oppose  the  claims  of 
Great  Britain  to  unlimited  authority;  and  that,  without 
eventually  declaring  independence  and  assuming  the  rights 
of  sovereignty  as  a  nation,  no  important  assistance  could 
be  obtained  from  France,  Spain,  or  any  European  power. 
Still  the  people  were  impressed  with  an  awful  idea  of  the 
omnipotence  of  Britain,  and  shuddered  at  the  thought  of 
attempting  a  separation.  They  placed  their  hopes  on  the 
effect  of  their  petitions  to  the  king,  their  agreements  to 
stop  all  commercial  intercourse,  and  the  exertions  of  their 
numerous  friends  in  the  British  nation  and  parliament. 
To  cement  the  union  of  all  the  colonies,  to  counteract  the 
fears  of  the  people  and  encourage  their  confidence  in  their 
own  strength  and  resources,  to  lead  them  into  measures 
decisive  in  their  consequences,  and  to  prepare  their  minds 
for  resistance  by  arms,  was  the  only  policy  which  the 
leaders  could,  at  that  time,  pursue.  Trumbull  entered 
into  their  sentiments,  with  all  the  ardor  in  favor  of  liberty, 
which  characterizes  a  youthful  politician.  Though  he 
prosecuted  the  study  of  law  with  the  utmost  attention  he 
frequently  employed  his  leisure  hours  in  writing  essay t-    u 


f 


MEMOIR  OF  TJIE  AUTHOR. 


15 


political  subjects,  in  the  public  gazettes ;  which  had  per- 
haps a  greater  effect  from  the  novelty  of  his  manner,  and 
the  caution  he  used  to  prevent  any  discovery  of  the  real 
author.  Nor  did  he  neglect  occasionally  to  cultivate  the 
muse;  and  just  before  he  left  Boston,  anonymously  pub- 
lished his  Elegy  on  the  Times,  which  is  contained  in  the 
present  collection.  Every  thing  then  verging  towards 
hostility  in  Massachusetts,  the  session  of  the  courts  being 
suspended,  and  Mr.  Adams  absent  at  the  Congress  in 
Philadelphia,  he  returned  to  New  Haven,  and  successfully 
commenced  practice  at  the  bar,  in  November  1774. 

The  year  1775  was  a  period  of  terror  and  dismay.  The 
war  had  commenced  by  the  battle  at  Lexington.  Uncon- 
ditional submission,  or  a  total  rejection  of  the  authority 
of  the  crown,  presented  the  only  alternative.  Every  ex- 
ertion was  made  by  the  friends  of  American  liberty,  to 
inspire  confidence  in  our  cause,  to  crush  the  efforts  of  the 
tory  party  and  to  prepare  the  public  mind  for  the  declar- 
ation of  independence.  With  these  views,  at  the  solicita- 
tion of  some  of  his  friends  in  Congress,  Trumbull  wrote 
the  first  part  of  the  poem  of  M'Fingal,  which  they  imme- 
diately procured  to  be  published  at  Philadelphia,  where 
Congress  was  then  assembled.  He  had  also  formed  the 
plan  of  the  work,  sketched  some  of  the  scenes  of  the 
third  canto  and  written  the  beginning»of  the  fourth,  with 
the  commencement  of  the  Vision,  at  which  point,  not  be- 
ing gifted  with  the  prophetical  powers  of  his  hero,  he  was 
obliged  to  leave  it  then  unfinished. 

In  November  1776,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Hubbard, 

daughter  of  Colonel  Leverett  Hubbard  of  New  Haven. 
B 


16 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


That  town  being  exposed  to  invasion,  and  all  business 
rapidly  declining,  be  returned  in  May  1777  to  his  native 
place,  where  he  remained  four  succeeding  years.  Too 
constant  application  to  his  studies,  and  the  fatigue  of  at- 
tending courts  at  a  distance,  \n  all  seasons,  and  especially 
during  the  severe  winter  of  1780,  occasioned  the  loss  of 
his  health  by  a  nervous  decline.  With  the  hope  of  re- 
covery, by  a  change  of  situation  to  a  place  more  advanta- 
geous for  his  professional  business,  and  more  agreeable  by 
its  literary  society,  he  removed,  in  June  1781,  with  his 
family,  to  Hartford,  where  he  has  ever  since  resided. 

A  friendly  club  was  soon  after  established,  who  assem- 
bled once  a  week  for  the  discussion  of  questions  on  pro- 
posed subjects,  legal,  philosophical  and  political.  Trum- 
bull, though  fully  employed  in  the  duties  of  his  profession, 
was  one  of  its  most  active  members.  The  fate  of  the 
revolutionary  war  being  now  eventually  decided  by  the 
capture  of  Lord  Cornwallis  and  his  army,  the  friends  of 
the  author  urged  him  to  complete  the  poem  of  M'Fingal ; 
and  having  obtained  his  promise,  immediately  put  into 
circulation  a  subscription  for  the  work.  Thus  situated,  he 
employed  his  leisure  hours  in  revising  the  first  half  of  the 
poem,  which  he  divided  into  two  cantos,  and  in  composing 
the  last.  The  whole  was  finished,  and  the  first  edition 
published  at  Hartford,  before  the  close  of  the  year  1782. 
As  no  author,  at  that  period,  was  entitled  by  law  to  the 
copyright  of  his  productions,  the  work  soon  became  the 
prey  of  every  bookseller  and  printer,  who  chose  to  appro- 
priate it  to  his  own  benefit.  Among  more  than  thirty 
different  impressions,  one  only,  at  any  subsequent  time, 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


17 


was  published  with  the  perhiission,  or  even  the  knowledge 
of  the  writer;  and  the  poem  remained  the  property  of 
newsmongers,  hawkers,  pedlars,  and  petty  chapmen. 

After  the  peace  in  1783,  the  United  States  were  left 
without  any  efficient  government,  and  connected  only  by 
the  Articles  of  Confederation.  Each  state  was  an  inde- 
pendent sovereignty  and  pursued  its  own  separate  plans 
of  policy.  The  officers  of  the  revolutionary  army  were 
every  where  unpopular,  on  account  of  the  extra  pay  for 
five  years,  granted  them  by  Congress  in  lieu  of  half  pay 
for  life,  which  was  first  stipulated.  Their  remaining  in 
combination  by  forming  the  society  of  the  Cincinnati  was 
also  a  subject  of  general  jealousy  and  clamour.  A  large 
addition  to  the  national  debt  arose  from  the  unpaid  arretrs 
of  the  army,  and  the  sums  promised  to  the  soldiers,  as  a 
compensation  for  payments  in  depreciated  bills,  and  as  a 
douceur,  to  pei:suade  them  to  retire  peaceably  to  their 
homes,  on  being  disbanded  at  the  close  of  the  war.  The 
country  was  greatly  impoverished;  and  almost  every  in- 
dividual believed,  that  he  had  already  paid  and  suffered 
more  than  his  just  proportion  of  the  public  expense. 

In  Connecticut,  mobs  were  raised  to  prevent  the  officers 
from  receiving  their  certificates  for  the  five  years'  pay. 
A  self-constituted  convention  assembled  to  second  the 
views  of  the  populace,  and  for  that  purpose,  to  effect  a 
revolution  in  the  state,  and  fill  every  office  with  the  lead- 
ers of  disorganization.  Had  not  the  insurrection  of  Shays, 
in  Massachusetts,  been  speedily  crushed,  the  eastern  states 
would  have  become  a  scene  of  anarchy  and  confusion.  A 
considerable  proportion  of  the  people  of  Connecticut  were 

2* 


18 


MEMOIK  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


rf 


m 


prepared  to  join  in  a  general  opposition  to  government, 
and  involve  the  country  in  the  horrors  of  civil  war.  The 
friends  of  order,  justice,  and  regular  authority,  endeavored 
to  counteract  this  spirit  by  every  effort  in  their  power — • 
by  remonstrance,  argument,  ridicule,  and  satire.  Among 
other  occasional  productions,  a  course  of  essays  was  pub- 
lished under  the  signature  of  Lycurgus,  in  a  strain  of 
ironical  humor,  exposing  to  contempt  the  principles  and 
views  of  the  Jacobinical  party. 

The  public  in  time  became  sensible  of  the  want  of  a 
general  and  efficient  government ;  and  the  contest  ended 
happily  in  the  adoption  of  the  federal  constitution.  Dur- 
ing most  of  this  period,  several  of  the  principal  literary 
characters  of  the  state  were  resident  in  Hartford,  and 
gave  to  the  friends  of  order  whatever  assistance  could  be 
afforded  by  their  publications.  The  principal  work  they 
produced  was  a  set  of  essays,  entitled  American  Antiqui- 
ties, first  printed  in  the  gazettes  in  Hartford  and  New 
Haven,  and  reprinted  in  other  newspapers,  in  almost  every 
part  of  the  United  States.  At  this  time  public  curiosity 
had  been  awakened  by  the  discovery  of  ancient  Indian 
fortifications,  with  other  relics,  which  were  considered  as 
proofs,  that  this  country  had  once  been  inhabited  by  a 
people  highly  advanced  in  the  arts  of  civilized  life.  Tlie 
story  of  the  emigration  of  Madoc,  with  a  body  of  Britons 
and  Welch,  about  the  year  800,  and  of  an  existing  tribe 
of  their  descendants  in  the  interior  part  of  the  continent, 
was  revived  and  circulated.  These  writers  assumed  the 
fiction,  that  in  digging  among  the  ruins  of  one  of  those 
forts,  an  ancient  heroic  poem  in  the  English  language  was 


i'i 


■:'t 


1 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


19 


i 


i 


found.  The  essays  consisted  of  supposed  extracts  from 
that  poem,  (which  they  styled,  The  Anarchiad,)  accompa- 
nied with  critical  remarks  in  prose.  Colonel  Humphreys, 
who  had  seen  in  England  a  similar  work,  called  the  Rol- 
liad,  ascribed  to  Fox,  Sheridan  and  their  associates,  was 
the  first  proposer  of  the  design.  Most  of  the  essays  were 
written  in  concert.  The  writers  were  Humphreys,  Barluw, 
Doctor  Lemuel  Hopkins,  and  our  author.  The  publica- 
tions of  these  gentlemen  were  supposed,  at  the  time,  to 
have  had  considerable  influence  on  the  public  taste  and 
opinions;  and  by  the  boldness  of  their  satire,  to  have 
checked  and  intimidated  the  leaders  of  disorganization 
and  infidel  philosophy. 

After  the  adoption-of  the  federal  constitution,  Trumbull 
was  first  called  forth  to  act  in  a  public  capacity.  In  1789, 
he  was  appointed  attorney  to  the  state  for  the  county  of 
Hartford.  In  May  1792,  he  was  representative  of  the 
town  of  Hartford  in  the  state  legislature,  where  he  took 
an  active  and  influential  part  in  their  debates  and  delib- 
erations; particularly  in  obtaining  an  enlargement  of 
the  funds,  and  an  alteration  of  the  charter  of  Yale  Col- 
lege. But  the  increasing  burthen  of  his  employments, 
public  and  professional,  again  impaired  his  health,  and  at 
length  reduced  him  to  the  lowest  stages  of  nervous  debil- 
ity. He  spent  his  summers,  for  two  or  three  successive 
years,  in  taking  long  journies  and  visiting  the  most  noted 
mineral  springs,  in  quest  of  health,  but  in  vain.  In  1795, 
he  resigned  his  office  of  State's  Attorney,  and  declined  all 
public  business.  In  November  1798,  he  experienced  a 
severe  fit  of  sickness,  from  which,  contrary  to  expectation. 


20 


MEMOIR  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 


he  escaped  with  life,  and  which  appeared  to  form  the  crisis 
of  his  nervous  disorders.  •  His  convalescence,  though  slow, 
was  favorably  progressive;  and  as,  during  his  long  con- 
finement, he  never  relinquished  his  habits  of  reading,  nor 
his  attention  to  public  affairs,  he  was  enabled,  on  his  re- 
turn to  society,  to  resume  his  former  rank,  in  professional 
business,  and  official  employments.  In  May  1800,  he  was 
again  a  member  of  the  legislature.  In  1801,  he  was  a])- 
pointed  a  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court  of  the  state  of  Con- 
necticut. From  this  period  he  declined  any  interference 
in  the  politics  of  the  state,  and  applied  himself  exclusively 
to  the  duties  of  his  office — being  of  opinion,  that  the  char- 
acter of  a  partizan  and  political  writer  was  inconsistent 
with  the  station  of  a  judge  and  destructive  of  the  confi- 
dence of  suitors  in  the  impartiality  of  judiciary  decisions. 
In  1808,  he  received  from  the  legislature  the  additional 
appointment  of  a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Errors. 
lie  was  happy  in  the  society  of  his  brethren  on  the  bench ; 
and  the  courts  of  the  state  were  at  no  period  more  respect- 
able for  legal  science,  or  more  respected  for  the  justice  and 
integrity  of  their  adjudications. 

To  these  offices  he  was  annually  appointed  by  the  legis- 
lature, till  their  session  in  May  1819,  when  *  * 
Desunt  nonnulla.         ******* 


M'F  ING  A  L. 


CANTO  I. 


THE  TOWN-MEETING,  A.  M. 


HEN  Yankees,*  skill'd  in  martial  rule, 
Firstf  put  the  British  troops  to  school, 
Instructed  them  in  warlike  trade, 
And  new  manoeuvres  of  parade, 

The  true  war-dance  of  Yankee  reels. 

And  manual  exercise  of  heels; 

Made  them  give  up,  like  saints  complete, 

The  arm  of  flesh,  and  trust  the  feet,  . 


The  notes  marked  London  Editor  are  copied  from  the  ffth 
English  edition,  printed  at  London  in  the  year  1792. 

*  Yankees — a  term  formerly  of  derision,  but  now  merely 
of  distinction,  given  to  the  people  of  the  four  Eastern 
states.    Land.  Edit. 

t  At  the  battle  of  Lexington.  The  reader  will  easily 
recollect  how  often  these  salutary  lessons  have  been  since 
repeated — from  the  action  at  Bunker-hill  to  the  battle  of 
New  Orleans  inclusive. 


Il 


!!(■ 


iiiiii! 


22 


M '  F  I  N  G  A  L . 


And  works,  like  Christians  undisscmbling, 
Salvation  out,  by  fear  and  trembling; 
Taught  Percy  fashionable  races, 
And  modern  modes  of  Chevy-Chases:* 
From  Boston,  in  his  best  array. 
Great  'Squire  M'Fingal  took  his  way. 
And  graced  with  ensigns  of  renown, 
Steer'd  homeward  to  his  native  town. 

His  high  descent  our  heralds  trace 
From  Ossian'sj  famed  Fingalian  race : 
For  though  their  name  some  part  may  lack. 
Old  Fingal  spelt  it  with  a  Mac  ; 
"Which  great  M'Pherson,  with  submission, 
We  hope  will  add  the  next  edition. 

His  fathers  flourished  in  the  Highlands 
Of  Scotia's  fog-benighted  islands; 

*  Lord  Percy  commanded  the  party  that  was  first  op- 
posed to  the  Americans  at  Le^^ngton.  This  allusion  to 
the  family  renown  of  Chevy-Chase  arose  from  the  precip- 
itate manner  of  his  lordship's  quitting  the  field  of  battle, 
and  returning  to  Boston.    Lond.  Edit. 

f  See  Fingal,  an  ancient  epic  poem,  published  as  the 
work  of  Ossian,  a  Caledonian  bard  of  the  third  century, 
by  James  M'Pherson.  The  complete  name  of  Ossian,  ac- 
cording to  the  Scottish  nomenclature,  will  be  Ossian 
M'Fingal. 


!»  J 


M'FINQ  AL. 


23 


Whence  gain'd  our  'Squire  two  gifts  by  right, 

RebeUion,  and  the  Second-sight. 

Of  these,  the  first,  in  ancient  days, 

Had  gain'd  the  noblest  palm  of  praise, 

'Gainst  kings  stood  forth  and  many  a  crown'd  head 

With  terror  of  its  might  confounded; 

Till  rose  a  king  with  potent  charm 

His  foes  by  meekness  to  disarm. 

Whom  evpr-j  Scot  and  Jacobite 

Strait  fell  in  love  with  at  first  sight; 

Whose  gracious  speech  with  aid  of  pensions, 

Hush'd  down  all  murmurs  of  dissensions. 

And  with  the  sound  of  potent  metal 

Brought  all  their  buzzing  swarms  to  settle ; 

Who  rain'd  his  ministerial  manna, 

Till  loud  Sedition  sung  hosanna; 

The  grave  Lords-Bishops  and  the  Kirk 

United  in  the  public  work; 

Rebellion,  from  the  nA-thern  regions. 

With  Bute  and  Mansfield  swore  allegiance ; 

All  hands  combin'd  to  raze,  as  nuisance. 

Of  church  and  state  the  Constitutions, 

Pull  down  the  empire,  on  whose  ruins 

They  meant  to  edify  their  new  ones; 

Enslave  th'  Amer'can  wildernesses. 

And  rend  the  provinces  in  pieces. 


fttf 


I'Mr  .. 


1 

I 


24 


MK  IN  G  A  L. 


With  these  our  'Squire,  immiig  the  valiunt'st, 
Euiploy'd  his  time,  nnd  tools  nud  talents, 
And  found  this  new  rebellion  plensing 
As  his  old  king-destroying  treason. 
Nor  less  avail'd  his  optic  sleight. 
And  Scottish  gift  of  second-sight.* 
No  ancient  sybil,  famed  in  rhyme, 
Saw  deeper  in  the  womb  of  time; 
No  block  in  old  Dodona's  grove 
Could  ever  more  orac'lar  prove. 
Nor  only  saw  he  all  that  could  be, 
But  much  that  never  was,  nor  would  be ; 
Whereby  all  prophets  far  outwent  he, 
Though  former  days  produced  a  plenty : 
For  any  man  with  half  an  eye 
What  stands  before  him  can  espy; 
But  optics  sharp  it  needs,  I  ween, 
To  see  what  is  not  to  be  seen. 
As  in  the  days  of  ancient  faAe, 
Prophets  and  poets  were  the  same. 
And  all  the  praise  that  poets  gain 
Is  for  the  tales  they  forge  and  feign : 

*  They  who  wish  to  understand  the  nature  and  modus 
operandi  of  the  Highland  vision  by  second-sight,  may 
consult  the  profound  Johnson,  in  his  "Tour  to  the 
Hebrides." 


VJ 


1** 


M'FINOAL.  26 

So  gain'd  our  'Squire  his  fame  by  seeing 
Such  things^,  as  never  .vould  have  being; 
Whence  he  lor  orncles  was  grown 
The  very  tripod*  of  his  town. 
Gazettes  no  sooiier  rose  a  lie  in, 
But  strait  he  fell  to  prophesying; 
Made  dreadful  slaughter  in  his  course, 
O'erthrew  provincials,  foot  and  horse, 
Brought  armies  o'er,  by  sudden  pressings. 
Of  Hanoverians,  Swiss,  and  Hessians, 
Feasted  with  blood  his  Scottish  clan, 
And  hang'd  all  rebels  to  a  man. 
Divided  their  estates  and  pelf, 
And  took  a  goodly  share  himself. 
All  this  with  spirit  energetic. 
He  did  by  second-sight  prophetic. 

Thus  stored  with  intellectual  riches, 
Skill'd  was  our  'Squire  in  making  speeches; 
Where  strength  of  braifls  united  centers 
With  strength  of  lungs  surpassing  Stentor's.* 
But  as  some  muskets  so  contrive  it. 
As  oft  to  miss  the  mark  they  drive  at, 

*  The  tripod  was  a  sacred  three-legged  stool,  from  which 
the  ancient  priests  uttered  their  oracles. 

f  Stentor,  the  loud-voiced  herald  in  Homer. 

3 


26 


M'FINGAL. 


^It' 


And  though  well  aim'd  at  duck  or  plover, 
Bear  wide,  and  kick  their  owners  over: 
So  fared  our  'Squire,  whose  reas'ning  toil 
Would  often  on  himself  recoil, 
And  so  much  injured  more  his  side, 
The  stronger  arguments  he  applied; 
As  old  war-elephants,  dismay 'd, 
Trod  down  the  troops  they  came  to  aid. 
And  hurt  their  own  Side  more  in  battle. 
Than  less  and  ordinary  cattle. 
Yet  at  Town-meetings  every  chief 
Pinn'd  fuiih  on  great  M'Fingal's  sleeve; 
Which  when  he  lifted,  all  by  rote 
Raised  sympathetic  hands  to  vote. 

The  Town,  our  hero's  scene  of  action. 
Had  long  been  torn  by  feuds  of  faction, 
And  as  each  party's  strength  prevails. 
It  turn'd  up  different,  heads  or  tails; 
With  constant  rattling,  in  a  trice, 
Show'd  various  sides,  as  oft  as  dice. 
As  that  famed  weaver,  wife  t'  Ulysses,* 
By  night  her  day's-work  pick'd  in  pieces. 
And  though  she  stoutly  did  bestir  her. 
Its  finishing  was  ne'er  the  nearer: 


*  Homer's  Odyssey. 


M'FINGAL.  27 

So  did  this  town  with  ardent  zeal 

Weave  cobwebs  for  the  public  weal, 

Which  when  completed,  or  before, 

A  second  vote  in  pieces  tore. 

They  met,  made  speeches  full  long-winded, 

Resolv'd,  protested  and  rescinded; 

Addresses  sign'd ;  then  chose  committees 

To  stop  all  drinking  of  Bohea  teas;* 

With  winds  of  doctrine  veer'd  about. 

And  turn'd  all  whig  committees  out. 

Meanwhile  our  hero,  as  their  head. 

In  pomp  the  tory  faction  led. 

Still  following,  as  the  'Squire  should  please. 

Successive  on  like  files  of  geese. 

And  now  the  town  was  summon'd,  greeting, 
To  grand  parading  of  Town-meeting; 
A  show,  that  strangers  might  appal, 
As  Rome's  grave  senate  did  the  Gaul. 

*  One  of  the  subjects  of  dispute,  which  brought  on  the 
war,  was  a  tax  upon  tea,  on  its  importation  into  the  colo- 
nies. And  therefore  one  of  the  weapons  of  opposition 
was  an  universal  agreement  by  the  people,  not  to  drink 
any  tea,  till  the  tax  was  taken  off.  The  committees  re- 
ferred to,  were  called  Committees  of  Correspondence :  part 
of  their  business  was  to  enforce  the  execution  of  the  vol- 
untary regulations  made  by  the  people  in  the  several  towns. 


"H 


pi 


5!      I 
t'i       i 


!% 


28 


M'FING  AL. 


* 


High  o'er  the  rout,  on  pulpit  stairs,^ 
Mid  den  of  thieves  in  house  of  prayers, 
(That  house,  which  loth  a  rule  to  break 
Serv'd  heaven,  but  one  day  in  the  week, 
Open  the  rest  for  all  supplies 
Of  news,  and  pohtics,  and  lies;) 
Stood  forth  the  constable;  and  bore 
His  staff,  like  Merc'ry's  wand  of  yore, 
Waved  potent  round,  the  peace  to  keep, 
As  that  laid  dead  men's  souls  to  sleep. 
Above  and  near  th'  hermetic  staff. 
The  Moderator's!  upper  half 
In  grandeur  o'er  the  cushion  bow'd, 
Like  Sol  half  seen  behind  a  cloud. 
Beneath  stood  voters  of  all  colours, 
"Whigs,  tories,  orators,  and  brawlers; 
With  every  tongue  in  either  faction 
Prepared  like  minute-men  J  for  action ; 

*  In  country  towns  in  New  England,  the  town-meeting 
is  generally  held  in  the  church,  or  meeting-house. 

f  Moderator  is  the  name  given  to  the  chairman  or 
speaker  of  a  town-meeting.  He  is  here  seated  in  the  pulpit. 
'  X  Minute-men  were  that  part  of  the  militia  of  our  coun- 
try, who  being  drafted,  and  enrolled  by  themselves,  were 
prepared  to  march  at  a  minute's  warning  wherever  the 
public  safety  required. 


i 


i  'I 

i 


w 


M'FINGAL.  29 

Where  truth  and  falsehood,  wrong  and  right, 
Drew  all  their  legions  forth  to  fight. 
With  equal  uproar  scarcely  rave 
Opposing  winds  in  iEolus'  cave ; 
Such  dialogues  with  earnest  face 
Held  never  Balaam  with  his  ass. 

With  daring  zeal  aud  courage  blest, 
Honorius  first  the  crowd  address'd. 
When  now  our  'Squire,  returning  late, 
Arrived  to  aid  the  grand  debate; 
With  strange,  sour  faces  sate  him  down. 
While  thus  the  orator  went  on. 
— "  For  ages  blest  thus  Britain  rose, 
The  terror  of  encircling  foes; 
Her  heroes  ruled  the  bloody  plain. 
Her  conq'ring  standard  awed  the  main. 
The  different  palms  her  triumph  grace 
Of  arms  in  war,  of  arts  in  peace. 
Unharrass'd  by  maternal  care, 
Each  rising  province  flourish'd  fair; 
Whose  various  wealth,  w4th  liberal  hand, 
By  far  o'erpaid  the  parent  land.* 

*  Before  tlie  revolution,  the  colonies  ever  styled  Britain 
their  mother-country,  themselves  her  children,  and  Eng- 
land their  home. 

3* 


80 


M'FING  AL. 


But  though  so  bright  her  sun  might  shine, 
'Tvvas  quickly  hasting  to  decHne, 
With  feeble  ray,  too  weak  t'  assuage 
The  damps,  that  chill  the  eve  of  age. 

"  For  states,  like  men,  are  doom'd  as  well 
Th'  infirmities  of  age  to  feel,* 
And  from  their  different  forms  of  empire, 
Are  seiz'd  with  every  deep  distemper. 
Some  states  high  fevers  have  made  head  in. 
Which  nought  could  cure  but  copious  bleeding; 
While  others  have  grown  dull  and  dozy, 
Or  fix'd  in  helpless  idiocy ; 
Or  turn'd  demoniacs  to  belabor 
Each  peaceful  habitant  and  neighbor; 
Or  vex'd  with  hypochondriac  fits, 
Have  broke  their  strength,  and  lost  their  wits. 
Thus  now  while  hoary  years  prevail, 
Good  mother  Britain  seen/d  to  fail; 
Her  back  bent,  crippled  with  tiie  weight 
Of  age,  and  debts,  and  cares  of  state. 
For  debts  she  owed,  and  those  so  large, 
As  twice  her  wealth  could  ne'er  discharge, 

*  This  is  asserted  by  all  the  grave  statesmen,  who  treat 
on  the  disorders  of  that  noted  allegorical  personage,  the 
Body  Politic. 


M'FINGAL. 

And  now  'twas  thought,  so  high  they'd  grown, 
She'd  come  upon  the  parish  soon. 
Her  arms,  of  nations  once  the  dread, 
She  scarce  could  lift  above  her  head; 
Her  deafen'd  ears,  'twas  all  their  hope, 
The  final  trump  perhaps  might  ope; 
So  long  they'd  been,  in  stupid  mood. 
Shut  to  the  hearing  of  all  good. 
Grim  death  had  put  her  in  his  scroll 
Down  on  the  execution-roll ; 
And  Gallic  crows,  as  she  grew  weaker. 
Began  to  whet  their  beaks  to  pick  her. 
"And  now  her  powers  decaying  fast, 
Her  grand  climact'ric  had  she  pass'd. 
And  just  like  all  old  women  else. 
Fell  in  the  vapors  much  by  spells. 
Strange  w^himsies  on  her  fancy  struck, 
And  gave  her  brain  a  dismal  shock; 
Her  memory  fails,  her  judgment  ends; 
She  quite  forgot  her  nearest  friends. 
Lost  all  her  former  sense  and  knowledge. 
And  fitted  fast  for  Bedlam-college. 
Of  all  the  powers  she  once  retain'd, 
Conceit  and  pride  alone  remain'd. 
As  Eve,  when  falling,  was  so  modest 
To  fancy  she  should  grow  a  goddess  ;* 

■     C  *  So  says  Milton. 


81 


32 


M'FING  AL 


As  madmen,  straw  who  long  have  slept  on, 
Style  themselves  Jupiter  and  Neptune : 
So  Britain  in  her  airs  so  flighty, 
Now  took  a  whim  to  be  Almighty;* 
Urg'd  on  to  desperate  heights  of  frenzy, 
Affirm'd  her  own  Omnipotency ; 
Would  rather  ruin  all  her  race, 
Than  yield  supremacy,  an  ace; 
Assumed  all  rights  divine,  as  grown 
The  church's  head,  like  good  Pope  Joan;f 
Swore  all  the  world  should  bow  and  skip. 
At  her  almighty  goodyship ; 
Anath'matized  each  unbeliever. 
And  vovv'd  to  live  and  rule  for  ever. 
Her  servants  humor'd  every  whim, 
And  own'd  at  once  her  power  supreme ; 

*  See  the  Act  declaring  her  right  to  bind  the  colonies 
in  all  cases  whatsoever.  See  also  Blackstone's  remarks,  in 
his  Commentaries,  on  the  Omnipotence  of  the  British  par- 
liament. 

f  Whether  there  actually  was  a  woman,  who  assumed 
the  dress  of  a  monk,  and  was  finally  elected  Pope,  has  oc- 
casioned violent  disputes  among  the  ecclesiastical  histori- 
ans. To  them  we  must  leave  it — since  the  world  have 
not  the  benefit,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Chevalier  D'Eon,  of 
the  report  of  any  legal  trial  for  ascertaining  her  sex,  before 
any  liord  Mansfield  of  that  age. 


M'FIN  GAL. 


33 


Iler  follies  nursed  in  all  their  stages, 

For  sake  of  liveries  and  wages ; 

In  Stephen's  Chapel*  then  in  state  too 

Set  up  her  golden  calf  to  pray  to ; 

Proclaim'd  its  power  and  right  divine, 

And  call'd  for  worship  at  its  shrine; 

And  for  poor  heretics  to  burn  us. 

Bade  Northj  prepare  his  fiery  furnace ; 

Struck  bargains  with  the  Romish  churches, 

Infallibihty  to  purchase ; 

Set  wide  for  Popery  the  door,J 

Made  friends  with  Babel's  scarlet  whore. 

Till  both  the  matrons  join'd  in  clan ; 

No  sisters  made  a  better  span. 

"  What  wonder  then,  ere  this  was  over. 
That  she  should  make  her  children  suffer? 
She  first  without  pretence  or  reason, 
Claim'd  right  whate'er  we  had  to  seize  on ; 
And  with  determin'd  resolution 
To  put  her  claims  in  execution, 


*  The  parliament-bouse  is  called  St.  Stephen's  Chapel- 

f  Her  Prime  Minister  of  State  at  that  period. 

:j:  Alluding  to  the  Act  of  parliament,  establishing  the 
Papal  worship  and  religion  in  Canada. 


m 


I 


m, 


iM   ; 


84 

Sent  fire 


M'FINGAL. 


i  sword,  and  call'd  it  Leiiily; 
Starv'd  us,  and  christen'd  it  Humanity. 
For  she,  her  case  grown  desperater, 
Mistook  the  plainest  things  in  nature  ; 
Had  lost  all  use  of  eyes  or  wits, 
Took  slavery  for  the  bill  of  rights; 
Trembled  at  whigs  and  deem'd  them  foes, 
And  stopp'd  at  loyalty  her  nose ; 
Styled  her  own  children,  brats  and  catiffs, 
And  knew  us  not  from  th'  Indian  natives. 

"What  though  with  supplicating  prayer, 
We  begg'd  our  lives  and  goods  she'd  spare ; 
Not  vainer  vows  with  sillier  call 
Elijah's  prophets  raised  to  Baal ; 
A  worshipp'd  stock  of  god  or  goddess 
Had  better  heard  and  understood  us. 
So  once  Egyptians  at  the  Nile 
Ador'd  their  guardian  crocodile, 
Who  heard  them  first  with  kindest  ear, 
And  ate  them  to  reward  their  prayer ; 
And  could  he  talk,  as  kings  can  do, 
Had  made  as  gracious  speeches  too. 

"Thus,  spite  of  prayers,  her  schemes  pursuing, 
She  still  went  on  to  work  our  ruin ; 
Annull'd  our  charters  of  releases, 
And  tore  our  title-deeds  in  pieces ; 


M'FINGAL.  35 

Then  sign'd  her  warrants  of  ejection, 
And  gallows  rais'd  to  stretch  our  necks  on . 
And  on  these  errands  sent  in  rage 
Her  bailiff,  and  her  hangman.  Gage ; 
And  at  his  heels,  like  dogs  to  bait  us, 
Dispatch'd  her  Posse  Comitatus. 

"  No  state  e'er  chose  a  fitter  person 
To  carry  such  a  silly  farce  on. 
As  heathen  gods  in  ancient  days 
Receiv'd  at  second  hand  their  praise. 
Stood  imaged  forth  in  stones  and  stocks, 
And  deified  in  barber's  blocks : 
So  Gage*  was  chose  to  represent 
Th'  omnipotence  of  Parliament. 
As  ancient  heroes  gain'd  by  shifts. 
From  gods,  as  poets  tell,  their  gifts ; 
Our  general,  as  his  actions  show, 
Gain'd  like  assistance  from  below. 
By  Satan  graced  with  full  supplies 
From  all  his  magazine  of  lies. 

*  General  Gage,  commander-in-chief  of  the  king's  troops 
in  North  America,  was  in  1773  appointed  governor  and 
vice-admiral  of  Massachusetts,  in  the  room  of  Hutchinson, 
who  had  been  the  most  active  agent  of  the  minister  in  fo- 
menting the  disputes  which  brouglit  on  the  war.  Lond. 
Edit. 


U  I 


(1.1; 


*■     ! 


86 


M'FI  N  U  A  L. 


Yet  could  his  practice  ne'er  impart 

The  wit  to  tell  a  lie  with  art. 

Those  lies  alone  are  formidable 

Where  artful  truth  is  mix'd  with  fable. 

But  Gage  has  bungled  oft  so  vilely, 

No  soul  would  credit  lies  so  silly, 

Outwent  all  faith,  and  stietch'd  beyond 

Credulity's  extremest  end : 

Whence  plain  it  seems,  though  Satan  once 

O'erlook'd  with  scorn  each  brainless  dunce. 

And  blundering  brutes  in  Eden  shunning. 

Chose  out  the  serpent  for  his  cunning ; 

Of  late  he  is  not  half  so  nice. 

Nor  picks  out  aids  because  they're  wise : 

For  had  he  stood  upon  perfection, 

His  present  friends  had  lost  th'  election. 

And  fared  as  hard,  in  this  proceeiJ'ng, 

As  owls  and  asses  did  in  Eden. 

"Yet  fools  are  often  dangerous  enemies; 
As  meanest  reptiles  are  most  venomous : 
Nor  e'er  could  Gage,  by  craft  or  prowess. 
Have  done  a  whit  more  mischief  to  us ; 
Since  he  began  th'  unnat'ral  war. 
The  work  his  masters  sent  him  for. 

"  And  are  there  in  this  freeborn  land 
Among  ourselves  a  venal  band  , 


•1 


III; 


'-i-J 


M'i'lNGAL.  37 

A  dastard  race,  wlio  long  have  sold 

Their  souls  and  consciences  for  gold  ; 

Who  wish  to  stab  their  country's  vitals, 

Could  they  enjoy  surviving  titles; 

With  pride  behold  our  mischiefs  brewing. 

Insult  and  triumph  in  our  ruin  ? 

Priests,  who,  if  Satan  should  sit  down 

To  make  a  Bible  of  his  own, 

Would  gladly,  for  the  sake  of  mitres. 

Turn  his  inspired  and  sacred  writers ; 

Lawyers,  who,  should  he  wish  to  prove 

His  claim  to  his  old  seat  above, 

Would,  if  his  cause  he'd  give  them  fees  in, 

Bring  writs  of  Entrtj  sur  disseism, 

Plead  for  him  boldly  at  the  session, 

And  hope  to  put  him  in  possession ; 

Merchants  who,  for  his  friendly  aid 

Would  make  him  partner  in  their  trade, 

Hang  out  their  signs  in  goodly  show, 

Inscribed  with,  Beelzebub  ^  Co.  ; 

And  judges,  who  would  list  his  pages, 

For  proper  liveries  and  wages ; 

And  who  as  humbly  cringe  and  bow 

To  all  his  mortal  servants  now  ? 

There  are ;  and  shame,  with  pointing  gestures, 

Marks  out  th'  Addressers  and  Protesters;* 

*  The  Addressers  were  those  who  addreissed  General 

4 


n 


)} 


u 


ill 


^L 


88 


M'FINO  AL. 


Whom  following  down  the  strenin  of  fate, 

Contempts  ineflhble  awnit ; 

And  public  infamy  forlorn, 

Dread  hate  and  everlasting  scorn." 

As  thus  he  spake,  our  'Squire  M'Fingal 
Gave  to  his  partisans  a  signal. 
Not  quicker  roll'd  the  waves  to  land. 
When  Moses  waved  his  potent  wand, 
Nor  with  more  uproar,  than  the  torics 
Set  up  a  general  rout  in  chorus; 

Laugli'd,hiss'd,hem'd,murmur'd,groan'd  and  jccr'd; 

Ilonorius  now  could  scarce  be  heard. 

Our  Muse,  amid  th'  increasing  roar, 

Could  not  distinguish  one  word  more ; 

Though  she  sate  by,  in  firm  record 

To  take  in  short  hand  every  word, 

As  ancient  Muses  wont ;  to  whom 

Old  bards  for  depositions  come ; 

Who  must  have  writ  them ;  for  how  else 

Could  they  each  speech  verbatim  tell 's  ? 


G 


,ge  with  expressions  of  gratitude  and  attachment,  on  his 
arrival  with  a  fleet  and  army  to  subdue  the  country :  the 
Protesters,  those  who  published  protests  against  the  mea- 
sures of  the  first  Congress,  and  the  resolves  of  the  people 
in  town-meetings  and  conventions. 


M'FI  N(i  AL. 


80 


And  though  some  readers  of  roinnnces 

Arc  npt  to  struiii  their  tortured  ftuicies, 

And  doubt  (when  lovers  nil  alone 

'I'lieir  sad  soliloquies  do  groan, 

(Jrieve  many  a  page,  w  ith  no  one  near  'cm, 

And  nought  l)ut  rocks  and  groves  to  hear  'em) 

What  sprite  infernal  could  have  tattled, 

And  told  the  authors  all  they  prattled ; 

Whence  some  weak  minds  have  made  objection 

That  wliat  they  scribbled  must  be  fiction : 

'Tis  false ;  for  while  the  lover  spoke, 

The  Muse  was  by  with  1  able-book. 

And  least  some  blunder  should  ensue. 

Echo  stood  clerk,  and  kept  the  cue. 

And  though  the  speech  ben't  w  orth  a  groat. 

It  can't  be  call'd  the  author's  fault ; 

But  error  merely  of  the  prater, 

Who  should  have  talk'd  to  th'  purpose  better : 

Which  full  excuse,  my  critic  brothers. 

May  help  me  out  as  well  as  others ; 

And  'tis  design'd,  though  here  it  lurk. 

To  serve  as  preface  to  this  work. 

So  let  it  be — for  now  our  'Squire 

No  longer  could  contain  his  ire. 

And  rising  'midst  applauding  tories. 

Thus  vented  wrath  upon  Honorius. 


1^ 

I: 


l-6'i      ! 


;i  ■ 


40 


M'FING  AL. 


Quoth  he,  "  'Tis  woiulrous  what  strange  stuff 
Your  whij^s-heads  are  compounded  of; 
Which  force  of  logic  cannot  pierce, 
Nor  syllogistic  carte  and  tierce, 
Nor  weight  of  scripture  or  of  reason 
Suffice  to  make  the  least  impression. 
Not  heeding  what  ye  rais'd  contest  on. 
Ye  prate,  and  beg,  or  steal  the  question ; 
And  when  your  boasted  arguings  fail. 
Strait  leave  all  reas'ning  off,  to  rail. 

"  Have  not  our  High-church  clergy*  made  it 
Appear  from  Scriptures,  which  ye  credit, 
That  right  divine  from  heaven  was  lent 
To  kings,  that  is,  the  parliament, 
Their  subjects  to  oppress  and  teaze. 
And  serve  the  devil  when  they  please  ? 
Did  not  the    write,  and  pray,  and  preach. 
And  torture  all  the  parts  of  speech, 
About  rebellion  make  a  pother. 
From  one  end  of  the  land  to  th'  other  ? 
And  yet  gain'd  fewer  proselyte  whigs, 
Than  old  St.  Anth'ny  'mongst  the  pigs  jf 

*  The  absurd  doctrines  of  passive  obedience,  non  resis- 
tance, and  the  divine  right  of  kings,  were  inculcated  with 
great  vehemence  at  this  period. 

f  The  stories  of  St.  Anthony  and  his  pig,  and  of  St 
Austin's  preaching  to  the  fishes,  are  told  in  the  Popish 


legends. 


*■£ 


M'FINGAL. 

And  changed  not  half  so  many  vicious, 
As  Austin  when  he  preach'd  to  fishes, 
Who  throng'd  to  hear,  the  legend  tells, 
Were  edified,  and  wagg'd  their  tails : 
But  scarce  you'd  prove  it,  if  you  tried, 
That  e'er  one  whig  was  edified. 
Have  ye  not  heard  from  Parson  Walter* 
Much  dire  presage  of  many  a  halter  ? 
What  warnings  had  ye  of  your  duty, 
From  our  old  rev'rend  Sam.  Auchmutyj* 
From  priests  of  all  degrees  and  metres, 
T'  our  fag-end  man,  poor  Parson  Peters  ?t 
Have  not  our  Cooper  and  our  Seabury 
Sung  hynms,  like  I3arak  and  old  Deborah ; 
Proved  all  intrigues  to  set  you  free 
Rebellion  'gainst  tlie  Powers  that  he  ; 


41 


*  High-church  clergymen,  one  at  Boston,  one  at  New- 
York. 

f  Peters,  a  tory  clergyman  of  Connecticut,  who  after 

rendering  himself  generally  detestable,  absconded  from  the 

contempt,  rather  than  the  vengeance  of  his  fellow-citizens, 

and  went  to  England,  where  he  published  a  libel,  which 

he  called,  A  History  of  that  Colony  ;  Cooper,  a  writer  of 

the  same  stamp.  President  of  the  College  at  New  York, 

Poet,  Punster  and  Satirist ;  Seabury,  a  clergyman  of  the 

same  Province. 

4« 


r 


l1l 


i 


42 


M '  F  1  N  G  A  L . 


Brought  over  many  a  scripture  text, 
That  used  to  wink  at  rebel  sects, 
Coax'd  wayward  ones  to  favor  regents. 
And  paraphrased  them  to  obedience; 
Proved  every  king,  ev,n  those  confest 
Horns  of  the  Apocalyptic  beast, 
And  sprouting  from  its  noddles  seven, 
Ordain'd,  as  bishops  are,  by  heaven  ; 
(For  reasons  similar,  as  we're  told 
That  Tophet  was  ordain'd  of  old) 
By  this  lay-ordination  valid. 
Becomes  all  sanctified  and  hallow'd. 
Takes  patent  out  as  heaven  has  sign'd  it. 
And  starts  up  strait,  the  Lord's  Anointed  ? 
As  extreme  unction,  which  can  cleanse 
Each  penitent  from  deadly  sins; 
Make  them  run  glib,  when  oiled  by  priest. 
The  heav'nly  road,  like  w^heels  new  greased ; 
Serve  them,  Hke  shoe-ball,  for  defences, 
'Gainst  wear  and  tear  of  consciences : 
So  king's  anointment  clears  betimes, 
Like  fuller's  earth,  all  spots  of  crimes. 
For  future  knaveries  gives  commissions. 
Like  Papists  sinning  under  license. 
For  heaven  ordain'd  the  origin, 
Divines  declare,*  of  pain  and  sin. 

*  See  the  modern  Metaphysical  Divinity. 


M 
II  i 


(  ■ 

I  ■ 


1 1 

!  1 


I 


M'FING  AL. 


■LS 


Prove  such  great  good  they  both  have  done  us, 

Kind  mercy  'twas  they  came  upon  us ; 

For  without  sin  and  pain  and  folly, 

Man  ne'er  was  blest,  nor  wise,  nor  holy : 

And  we  should  thank  the  Lord  'tis  so. 

As  authors  grave  wrote  long  ago. 

Now  heav'n  its  issues  never  brings 

Without  the  means,  and  these  are  kings; 

And  he  who  blames  VA'hen  they  announce  ills, 

Would  counteract  th'  eternal  counsels. 

As  when  the  Jews,  a  murm'ring  race, 

By  constant  grumblings  fell  from  grace, 

Heav'n  taught  them  first  to  know  their  distance. 

By  famine,  slavery,  and  Philistines  ; 

When  these  could  no  repentance  bring, 

In  wrath  it  sent  them  last  a  king : 

So  nineteen,  'tis  believ'd,  in  tvpenty 

Of  modern  kings  for  plagues  are  sent  you ; 

Nor  can  your  cavillers  pretend 

But  that  they  answer  well  their  end. 

'Tis  yours  to  yield  to  their  command, 

As  rods  in  Providence's  hand ; 

For  when  it  means  to  send  you  pain, 

You  toss  your  foreheads  up  in  vain ; 

Your  way  is,  hush'd  in  peace,  to  bear  it, 

And  make  necessity  a  merit. 


1 


B' 


?       li 


44 


M'FINGAL. 


Ilence  sure  perdition  must  await 

Tlie  man,  who  rises  'gainst  the  state, 

Who  meets  at  once  the  damning  sentence. 

Without  one  loophole  for  repentance ; 

Ev'n  though  he  gain  the  Royal  See, 

And  rank  among  the  Powers  that  be.  • 

For  hell  is  theirs,  the  scripture  shows. 

Whoe'er  the  Powers  that  be  oppose ; 

And  all  those  Powers  (I'm  clear  that  'tis  so) 

Are  damn'd  for  ever,  ex  officio. 

"  Thus  far  our  clergy ,  but  'tis  true 
We  lack'd  not  earthly  reas'ners  too. 
Had  I  the  poet's*  brazen  lungs. 
As  soundboard  to  his  hundred  tongues, 
I  could  not  half  the  scribblers  muster. 
That  swarm'd  round  Rivingtonf  in  cluster; 
Assemblies,  councilmen,  forsooth. 
Brush,  Cowper,  Wilkins,  Chandler,  Booth : 
Yet  all  their  arguments  and  sapience 
'^'ou  did  not  value  at  three  halfpence. 


*  Virgil. 

t  Rivington,  printer  of  the  Royal  Gazette  in  New 
York.  The  Legislature  of  that  Province  were  opposed 
to  the  measures  of  the  country. 


■■  iv:rtf% -ajt-'iiFja 


v.li 


M '  F  1  N  G  A  L . 


45 


Did  not  our  Massachusettensis* 

For  your  conviction  strain  iiis  senses ; 

Scrawl  every  moment  he  could  spare 

From  cards  and  barbers  and  the  fair; 

Show,  clear  as  sun  in  noonday  heavens. 

You  did  not  feel  a  single  grievance ; 

Demonstrate  all  your  opposition 

Sprung  from  the  eggsf  of  foul  sedition ; 

Swear  he  had  see;i  the  nest  she  laid  in, 

And  knew  how  long  she  had  been  sitting; 

Could  tell  exact  what  strength  of  heat  is 

Required  to  hatch  her  out  committees ; 

What  shapes  they  take,  and  how  much  ionger's 

The  time  before  they  grow  t'  a  Congress  ? 


*  A  course  of  Essays  under  that  signature  was  pub- 
lished in  Boston,  in  the  latter  part  of  177-1  and  beginning 
of  1775.  It  was  the  last  combined  effort  of  Tory  wit  and 
argument  to  write  down  the  Revolution. 

f  "  Committees  of  correspondence  are  the  foulest  and 
most  venomous  serpent,  that  ever  issued  from  the  eggs  of 
Sedition,"  &c.     Massachusettensis. 

The  scheme  of  appointing  such  committees  in  every 
town  was  first  devised  by  the  celebrated  Samuel  Adams ; 
they  became  a  most  powerful  engine  for  combining  the 
sentiments  and  directing  the  energies  of  the  people. 


I'l 


1 


46 


M'FINGAL. 


He  white-wash'd  Hutchinson,  and  varnisli'd 
Our  Gage,  who'd  got  a  httle  tarnish'd ; 
Made  them  new  masks,  in  time  no  doubt, 
For  Hutchinson's  was  quite  worn  out: 
Yet  while  he  muddled  all  his  head 
You  did  not  heed  a  word  he  said. 

*  Did  not  our  grave  Judge  Sewall*  hit 
The  summit  of  newspaper  wit; 
Fill  every  leaf  of  every  paper 
Of  Mills  &  Hicks,  and  mother  Draper  jf 
Draw  proclamations,  works  of  toil, 
In  true  sublime  of  scarecrow  style, 
Write  farces  too  'gainst  sons  of  freedom. 
All  for  your  good,  and  none  would  read  'era ; 
Denounce  damnation  on  their  frenzy. 
Who  died  in  whig-impenilency ; 
Affirm  that  heav'n  would  lend  us  aid, 
As  all  our  tory  writers  said ; 
And  calculate  so  well  its  kindness, 
He  told  the  moment  when  it  joln'd  us  ? 

*  Judge  of  Admiralty  and  Attorney-General  of  Massa- 
cliusetts,  Gage's  chief  adviser  and  proclamation-maker, 
author  of  a  farce,  called  "The  American  roused,"  and  of 
a  multitude  of  newspaper  essays. 

t  Printers  of  ministerial  gazettes  in  Boston. 


••!t 


-.1  I 


M'FINGAL.  47 

"  Twas  then  belike,"  Honorious  cried, 
"  When  you  the  public  fast  defied. 
Refused  to  heaven  to  raise  a  prayer, 
Because  you'd  no  connections  there ; 
And  since  with  reverent  hearts  and  faces, 
To  governors  you'd  paid  addresses. 
In  them,  who  made  you  tories,  seeing 
You  lived  and  moved  and  had  your  being. 
Your  humble  vows  you  would  not  breathe 
To  powers,  you'd  no  acquaintance  with. 

"  As  for  your  fasts,"  replied  our  'Squire, 
"What  circumstance  could  fasts  require? 
We  kept  them  not,  but  'twas  no  crime. 
We  held  them  merely  loss  of  time. 
For  what  advantage  firm  and  lasting, 
Pray,  did  you  ever  get  by  fasting. 
Or  what  the  gain,  that  can  arise 
From  vows  and  offerings  to  the  skies  ? 
Will  heaven  reward  with  posts  and  fees, 
Or  send  us  tea,*  as  consignees. 
Give  pensions,  salaries,  places,  bribes. 
Or  choose  us  judges,  clerks,  or  scribes  ? 

*  Alluding  to  the  famous  cargo  of  tea,  which  was 
destroyed  in  Boston  harbor,  the  consignees  of  which  were 
the  tools  of  the  British  ministry. 
D 


48 


M'FING  AL. 


Has  it  commissions  in  its  gift, 

Or  cash  to  serve  us  at  a  lift  ? 

Are  acts  of  parliament  there  made, 

To  carry  on  the  placeman's  trade. 

Or  has  it  pass'd  a  single  bill 

To  let  us  plunder  whom  we  will  ? 

"And  look  our  list  of  placemen  all  over; 
Did  heaven  appoint  our  chief  Judge  Oliver,* 
Fill  that  high  bench  with  ignoramus, 
Or  has  it  councils  by  mandamus  ?t 
Who  made  that  wit  of  water-gruel 
A  judge  of  admiralty.  Sewall  ? 
And  were  they  not  mere  earthly  struggles. 
That  raised  up  Murray,  say,  and  Ruggles  ? 
Did  heaven  send  down,  our  pains  to  medicine, 
That  old  simplicity  of  Edson, 
Or  by  election  pick  out  from  us 
That  Marshfield  blunderer,  Nat.  Ray  Thomas ; 

*  Peter  Oliver  Esq.,  without  legal  science  or  profession- 
al education,  was  appointed  Chief  Judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  in  Massachusetts. 

f  The  Council  of  that  Province  had  ever,  by  its  char- 
ter, been  elective.  The  charter  was  declared  void,  and 
the  King  appointed  them  by  writ  of  mandamus.  The 
persons,  named  in  this  paragraph,  were  some  of  the  most 
conspicuous  of  the  new  members. 


M'FING  AL. 


49 


Or  had  it  any  hand  in  serving 

A  Loring,  Peppereil,  Browne  or  Irving  ? 

"  Yet  we've  some  saints,  the  very  thing, 
To  pit  against  the  best  you'll  bring ; 
For  can  the  strongest  fancy  paint, 
Than  Hutchinson,  a  greater  saint  ? 
Was  there  a  parson  used  to  pray. 
At  times  more  regular,  twice  a  day ; 
As  folks  exact  have  dinners  got. 
Whether  they've  appetites  or  not  ? 
Was  there  a  zealot  more  alarming 
'Gainst  public  vice  to  hold  forth  sermon, 
Or  fix'd  at  church,  whose  inward  motion 
Roll'd  up  his  eyes  with  more  devotion  ? 
What  puritan  could  ever  pray 
In  godlier  tone,  than  Treasurer  Gray, 
Or  at  town-meetings  speechifying. 
Could  utter  more  melodious  whine. 
And  shut  his  eyes,  and  vent  his  moan. 
Like  owl  afflicted  in  the  sun ; 
Who  once  sent  home,  his  canting  rival. 
Lord  Dartmouth's  self,  might  outbedrivel. 

"  Have  you  forgot,"  Honorious  cried, 
"  How  your  prime  saint  the  truth*  defied, 

*  Hutchinson,  wbile  Governor  of  the  Province,  in  his 
letters  to  the  ministry  declared  the  necessity,  in  order  to 

5 


!   I 


111 


50 


M'FING  AL. 


Affirm'd  he  never  wrote  a  line 
Your  chartered  rights  to  undermine, 
When  his  own  letters  then  were  by, 
Which  proved  his  message  all  a  lie  ? 
How  many  promises  he  seal'd 
To  get  th'  oppressive  acts  repeal'd. 
Yet  once  arrived  on  England's  shore, 
Set  on  the  Premier  to  pass  more  ? 
But  these  are  no  defects,  we  grant, 
In  a  right  loyal  Tory  saint, 

maintain  government,  of  destroying  the  Charter,  abridging 
what  he  termed  English  Liberties,  making  the  Judges 
dependent  only  on  the  crown,  and  erecting  a  nobility  in 
America.  Doctor  Franklin,  then  provincial  Agent  at  the 
British  Court,  obtained  a  number  of  the  originals,  and 
transmitted  them  to  Boston.  In  1773,  in  a  speech  to  the 
Legislative  Assembly,  he  affirmed  the  absolute  and 
nnlimited  authority  of  the  parliament  over  the  Colonies. 
This  drew  from  the  House  of  Eepresentatives  a  spirited 
and  argumentative  reply.  He  rejoined ;  and  in  the  course 
of  the  debate,  finding  himself  suspected  of  advising  the 
ministry  to  oppressive  measures,  declared  that  he  had 
ever  been  an  advocate  for  the  rights  of  the  Province  con- 
tained in  the  Charter,  and  the  equal  liberties  of  the  Colo- 
nists with  the  other  subjects  of  the  British  Dominion. — 
On  this,  Huichinson's  letters  were  immediately  published 
in  Boston,  to  the  utter  confusion  of  all  his  pretensions, 
political  and  religious. 


I'l     \\\ 


U'FINa  AL. 


61 


Whose  godlike  virtues  must  with  ease 
Atone  for  venial  crimes,  hke  these : 
Or  ye  perhaps  in  scripture  spy 
A  new  commandment,  *Thou  shalt  lie ;' 
If  this  be  so  (as  who  can  tell  ?) 
There's  no  one  sure  ye  keep  so  well.'* 

Quoth  he,  "For  lies  and  promise-breaking. 
Ye  need  not  be  in  such  a  taking : 
For  lying  is,  we  know  and  teach, 
The  highest  privilege  of  speech ; 
The  universal  Magna  Charta, 
To  which  all  human  race  is  party, 
Whence  children  first,  as  David  says. 
Lay  claim  to't  in  their  earliest  days ; 
The  only  stratagem  in  war. 
Our  generals  have  occasion  for ; 
The  only  freedom  of  the  press, 
Our  politicians  need  in  peace. 
Thank  heaven,  your  shot  have  missed  their  aim, 
For  lying  is  no  sin  nor  shame. 

"  As  men  last  wills  may  change  again, 
Tho'  drawn,  'In  name  of  God,  Amen ;' 
Be  sure  they  must  have  clearly  more 
O'er  promises  as  great  a  power, 
Which,  made  in  haste,  with  small  inspection, 
So  much  the  more  will  need  correction ; 


I 


52 


Ml   1  N  li  AL. 


And  when  tliey've,  cmvless,  spoke  or  penned  *em, 
Have  right  to  look  theni  o'er  and  mend  'cin ; 
Revise  their  vows,  or  ciiange  the  text, 
By  way  of  codicil  annex'd  ; 
Strike  out  a  promise,  that  was  base. 
And  put  a  better  in  its  place. 

"  So  Gage  of  late  agreed,  you  know, 
To  let  the  Boston  people  go ; 
Yet  when  he  saw  'gainst  troops  that  braved  him, 
They  were  the  only  guards  that  saved  him, 
Kept  off  that  satan  of  a  Putnam* 
From  breaking  in  to  maul  and  mutton  him; 
He'd  too  much  wit,  such  leagues  t'  observe, 
And  shut  them  in  again,  to  starve. 

"So  Moses  writes,  when  female  Jews 
Made  oaths  and  vows  unfit  for  use, 

• 

*  General  I  utnam  took  the  command  of  the  provincial 
troops,  and  blockaded  Boston,  immediately  after  the 
battle  of  Lexington.  Gage,  while  his  army  were  in  pos- 
session of  that  place,  promised  to  permit  the  inhabitants 
to  retire  into  the  country,  on  condition  of  surrendering 
up  their  arms ;  but  after  their  compliance,  he  refused  to 
perform  his  engagement — hoping  that  the  Americans 
would  not  attempt  to  bombard  the  town,  or  enter  it  by 
storm,  while  they  must  endanger  the  lives  of  so  many 
thousands  of  their  fellow-citizens. 


M'FINO  AL. 

Their  parents  then  inl«jht  set  them  free 

From  that  conscientious  tyranny : 

And  shall  men  feel  that  spiritual  bondage 

For  ever,  when  they  grow  beyond  age  ^ 

Shall  vows  but  bind  the  stout  and  strong, 

And  let  go  women  weak  and  young, 

As  nets  enclose  the  larger  crew. 

And  let  the  smaller  fry  creep  through  ? 

Besides,  the  Whigs  have  all  been  set  on. 

The  Tories  to  affright  and  threaten, 

Till  Gage  amidst  his  trembling  fits, 

lias  hardly  kept  him  in  his  wits; 

And  though  he  speak  with  fraud  and  finesse, 

'Tis  said  beneath  duress  per  minas. 

For  we're  in  peril  of  our  souls 

From  your  vile  feathers,  tar  and  poles ; 

And  vows  extorted  are  not  binding 

In  law,  and  so  not  worth  the  minding. 

For  we  have  in  this  hurly-burly 

Sent  off  our  consciences  on  furlow ; 

Thrown  our  religion  o'er  in  form, 

Our  ship  to  lighten  in  the  storm. 

Nor  need  we  blush  your  Whigs  before  ; 

Had  we  no  virtue,  you've  no  more. 

"  Yet  black  with  sins,  would  spoil  a  mitre, 

Rail  ye  at  faults  by  ten  tints  whiter  ? 

5* 


68 


64 


M'FINaAL. 


!  I 


And,  stuiTd  with  choler  atrabilious. 

Insult  us  here  for  peccadilloes  ? 

While  all  your  vices  run  so  high 

That  mercy  scarce  could  find  suppi   : 

And  should  you  offer  to  repent, 

You'd  need  more  fasting  days  than  Lent, 

More  groans  than  haunted  church-yard  valleys. 

And  more  confessions  than  broad-alleys.* 

I'll  show  you  all  at  fitter  time, 

Th'  extent  and  greatness  of  your  crime. 

And  here  demonstrate  to  your  face. 

Your  want  of  virtue,  as  of  grace, 

Evinced  from  topics  old  and  recent : 

But  thus  much  must  suffice  at  present. 

To  th'  after  portion  of  the  day 

I  leave  what  more  remains  to  say ; 

When,  I've  good  hope,  you'll  all  appear. 

More  fitted  and  prepared  to  hear. 

And  grieved  for  all  your  vile  demeanor : 

But  now  'tis  time  t*  adjourn  for  dinner." 

*  Alluding  to  church  discipline,  where  a  person  is 
obliged  to  stand  in  an  isle  of  the  church,  called  in  New- 
England  the  hroad-alky,  name  the  offence  he  has  commit- 
ted, and  ask  pardon  of  his  brethren. 

END  OF  CANTO   FIRST. 


m 


"n 


I'l"  IN  G  AL. 


CAHTO  n 


'■ 


THE  TOWN-MEETING,  P.  M. 

HE  Sun,  who  never  stops  to  dine, 
Two  hours  had  pass'd  the  mid-way  line, 
And  driving  at  his  usual  rate, 
'  Lash'd  on  his  downward  car  of  state. 
And  now  expired  the  short  vacation^ 
And  dinner  o'er  in  epic  fashion. 
While  all  the  crew,  beneath  the  trees. 
Eat  pocket-pies,  or  bread  and  cheese, 
(Nor  shall  we,  like  old  Homer,  care 
To  versify  their  bill  of  fare) 
Each  active  party,  feasted  well, 
Throng'd  in,  like  sheep,  at  sound  of  bell ; 
With  equal  spirit  took  their  places, 
And  meeting  oped  with  three  Oh  Yesses : 
When  first,  the  daring  Whigs  t'  oppose, 
A^ain  the  great  M'Fingal  rose. 


(W 


I    ! 


m 


56 


M'FING  AL. 


Stretch'd  magisterial  arm  amain, 
And  thus  resumed  th'  accusing  strain. 

"Ye  Whigs  attend,  and  hear  affrighted 
The  crimes  whereof  ye  stand  indicted; 
The  sins  and  folhes  past  all  compass, 
That  prove  you  guilty,  or  non  compos. 
I  leave  the  verdict  to  your  senses, 
And  jury  of  your  consciences  ; 
Which  though  they're  neither  good  nor  true, 
Must  yet  convict  you  and  your  crew. 

"Ungrateful  sons  !  a  factious  hand, 
That  rise  against  your  parent  land  ! 
Ye  viper  race,  that  burst  in  strife 
The  genial  w^omb  that  gave  you  life. 
Tear  with  sharp  fangs  and  forked  tongue 
The  indulgent  bowels  whence  ye  sprung ; 
And  scorn  the  debt  and  obligation. 
You  justly  owe  the  British  nation. 
Which,  since  you  cannot  pay,  your  crew 
Affect  to  swear  was  never  due. 

"Did  not  the  deeds  ol  England's*  primate 
First  drive  your  fathers  to  this  climate, 

*  The  persecutions  of  the  English  Church  under 
Archbishop  Laud  are  well  known  to  have  been  the  cause 
of  the  peopling  of  New  England. — Lo7id.  Edit. 


M 


M'FINUAL. 


67 


Whom  jails  and  fines  and  every  ill 
Forced  to  their  good  against  their  will  ? 
Ye  owe  to  their  obliging  temper 
The  peopling  your  new-fangled  empire, 
While  every  British  act  and  canon 
Stood  forth  your  causa  sine  qua  non. 
Who'd  seen,  except  for  these  restraints. 
Your  witches,  quakers,  whigs,  and  saints, 
Or  heard  of  Mather's*  famed  Magnaiia, 
If  Charles  and  Laud  had  chanced  to  fail  you  ? 
Did  they  not  send  your  charters  o'er. 
And  give  you  lands  you  ovvn'd  before. 
Permit  you  all  to  spill  your  blood, 
And  drive  out  heathens  where  you  could ; 
On  these  mild  terms,  that,  conquest  won, 
The  rejilm  you  gain'd  should  be  their  own  ? 
And  when  of  late  attack'd  by  those. 
Whom  her  connection  made  your  foes,t 


ider 
luse 


*  See  in  Mather's  Magnalia,  a  history  of  the  miracles, 
which  occurred  in  the  first  settlement  of  New  England ; 
see  also  his  "Wonders  of  the  invisible  World,"  lor  a  full 
and  true  account  of  the  witchcraft  at  Salem. 

f  The  war  of  1755,  between  the  English  and  French, 
was  doubtless  excited  by  causes  foreign  to  the  interests 
of  those  Colonies,  which  now  form  the  United  States. 
They  however  paid  more  than  their  proportion  of  the 


,^ 


lii 


•I  I 


Nil 


ill  I 


m 


i!  I 


68 


M'FINGAL. 


Did  they  not  then,  distress'd  by  war, 

Send  generals  to  your  help  from  far. 

Whose  aid  you  own'd,  in  terms  less  haughty. 

And  thankfully  o'erpaid  your  quota  ? 

Say,  at  what  period  did  they  grudge 

To  send  you  governor  or  judge. 

With  all  their  missionary*  crew. 

To  teach  you  law  and  gospel  too? 

They  brought  all  felons  in  the  nation 

To  help  you  on  in  population; 

Proposed  their  bishops  to  surrender. 

And  made  their  priests  a  legal  tender. 

Who  only  ask'd  in  surplice  clad. 

The  simple  tithe  of  all  you  had: 

expense,  and  a  balance  was  repaid  them  by  the  British 
Government  after  the  war. — Lond.  Edit. 

The  fact  is  that  England  involved  us  in  the  war,  in 
which  the  Colonies  must  have  been  destroyed  in  its  ear- 
liest stages,  had  it  not  been  for  their  own  extraordinary 
exertions. 

*  These  Missionaries  were  Clergymen,  ordained  by  the 
Bishop  of  London,  and  settled  in  America.  Those  in 
the  northern  colonies  were  generally  attached  to  the  royal 
cause. — Lond.  Edit. 

Great  efforts  were  also  made  to  send  us  Bishops,  to  rule 
the  New  England  churches ;  but  this  was  prevented  by 
the  revolution. 


M'FING  AL. 


59 


:itish 

r,  in 

ear- 

narj 

r  the 
e  in 
•oyal 

rule 
I  by 


And  now,  to  keep  all  knaves  in  awe, 
Have  sent  their  troops  t'  establish  law. 
And  with  gunpowder,  fire  and  ball. 
Reform  your  people,  one  and  all. 
Yet  when  their  insolence  and  pride 
Have  anger'd  all  the  world  beside ; 
When  fear  and  want  at  once  invade, 
Can  you  refuse  to  lend  them  aid. 
And  rather  risk  your  heads  in  fight. 
Than  gratefully  throw  in  your  mite  ? 
Can  they  for  debts  make  satisfaction, 
Should  they  dispose  their  realm  at  auction, 
And  sell  off  Britain's  goods  and  land  all 
To  France  and  Spain,  by  inch  of  candle  ? 
Shall  good  King  George,  with  want  oppress'd, 
Insert  his  name  in  bankrupt  list. 
And  shut  up  shop,  like  failing  merchant, 
That  fears  the  bailiffs  should  make  search  in't; 
With  poverty  shall  princes  strive, 
And  nobles  lack  whereon  to  live  ? 
Have  they  not  rack'd  their  whole  inventions 
To  feed  their  brats  on  posts  and  pensions ; 
Made  their  Scotch  friends  with  taxes  groan, 
And  pick'd  poor  Ireland  to  the  bone : 
Yet  have  on  hand,  as  well  deserving, 
Ten  thousand  bastards,*  left  for  starving  ? 
*  A  great  proportion  of  the  old  English    peerage  con- 


J 


i'  I 

ill 

II 

I 


Jil 


111 

iilii 


60 


M' 


NG  AL. 


And  can  you  now,  with  conscience  clear, 
Refuse  them  an  asylum  here, 
And  not  maintain,  in  manner  fitting. 
These  genuine  sons  of  mother  Britain? 

"T'  evade  these  crimes  of  blackest  grain 
You  prate  of  liberty  in  vain. 
And  strive  to  hide  your  vile  designs 
In  terms  abstruse,  like  school-divines. 

"  Your  boasted  patriotism  is  scarce, 
And  country's  love  is  but  a  farce : 
For  after  all  the  proofs  you  bring. 
We  tories  know  there's  no  such  thing. 

Hath  not  Dalrymple*  show'd  in  print, 
And  Johnson  too,  there's  nothing  in't; 


sists  of  the  left-handed  progeny  of  their  kings.    In  this 
business,  Charles  the  second  was  the  last  hero. 

*  This  writer  undertook  to  demonstrate,  that  all  the 
celebrated  British  patriots  were  pensioners,  in  the  pay  of 
France.  His  proof  is  derived  from  the  letters  of  the 
French  embassadors,  who  accounting  for  the  monies  re- 
ceived from  their  court,  charge  so  many  thousand  guineas 
paid  to  Hampden,  Sidney,  and  others,  as  bribes.  We  are 
told  also  that  Admiral  Russell  defeated  the  French  fleet, 
at  a  time  when  he  had  engaged  most  solemnly,  and  re- 
ceived a  stipulated  sum,  to  be  beaten  himself 


this 

the 
7  of 

the 
!  re- 
neas 

are 
leet, 

re- 


M'FING  AL. 


CI 


Produced  you  demonstration  ample, 
From  others'  and  their  own  example, 
That  self  is  still,  in  either  faction, 
The  only  principle  of  action ; 
The  loadstone,  whose  attracting  tether 
Keeps  the  politic  world  together: 
And  spi^"  of        our  double  dealing, 
We  all  aid  sure   .iS  so,  from  feelin  ^ 

"  Who  heeds  your  babbling  of  transmitting 
Freedom  to  brats  of  your  begetting, 
Or  will  proceed,  as  tho'  there  were  a  tie, 
And  obligation  to  posterity  ? 
We  get  them,  bear  them,  breed  and  nurse. 
What  has  posterity  done  for  us, 
That  we,  least  they  their  rights  should  lose, 
Should  trust  our  necks  to  gripe  of  noose? 

"  And  who  believes  you  will  not  run  ? 
Ye're  cowards,  every  mother's  son ; 
And  if  you  offer  to  deny, 
We've  witnesses  to  prove  it  by. 
Attend  th'  opinion  first,  as  referee. 
Of  your  old  general,  stout  Sir  Jeffery;* 

*  Sir  Jeffery  Amherst,  Grant  and  other  officers,  who 
had  served  in  America,  were  so  ignorant,  silly  or  mali- 
cious, as  to  make  such  assertions  in  parliament. 

6 


62 


M'FINGAL. 


Who  swore  that  with  five  thousand  foot 

He'd  rout  you  all,  and  in  pursuit 

Run  thro'  the  land,  as  easily 

As  camel  through  a  needle's  eye  ? 

Did  not  the  mighty  Colonei  virant 

Against  your  courage  pour  his  rant, 

Affirm  your  universal  failure 

In  every  principle  of  valor. 

And  swear  no  scamperers  e'er  could  match  you, 

So  swift,  a  bullet  scarce  could  catch  you  ? 

And  will  you  not  confess,  in  this 

A  judge  most  competent  he  is  ? 

Well  skill'd  on  running  to  decide. 

As  what  himself  has  often  tried  ? 

'Twould  not  methinks  be  labor  lost, 

If  you'd  sit  down  and     >unt  the  cost, 

And  ere  you  call  your     ankees  out. 

First  think  what  work  you've  set  about. 

Have  you  not  roused,  his  force  to  try  on, 

That  grim  old  beast,  the  British  Lion ; 

And  know  you  not,  that  at  a  sup 

He's  large  enough  to  eat  you  up  ? 

Have  you  survey'd  his  jaws  beneath. 

Drawn  inventories  of  his  teeth, 

Or  have  you  weigh'd  in  even  balance, 

His  strength  and  magnitude  of  talons  ? 


M'FINGAL.  63 

His  roar  would  change  your  boasts  to  fear, 
As  easily,  as  sour*  small  beer ; 
And  make  your  feet  from  dreadful  fray, 
By  native  instinct  run  away. 
Britain,  depend  on't,  will  take  on  her 
T'  assert  her  dignity  and  honor, 
And  ere  she'd  lose  your  share  of  pelf. 
Destroy  your  country,  and  herself. 
For  has  not  North  declared  they  fight 
To  gain  substantial  rev'nue  by't. 
Denied  he'd  ever  deign  to  treat. 
Till  on  your  knees  and  at  his  feet  ? 
And  feel  you  not  a  trifling  ague 
From  Van's  "  Delcnda  est  Carthago  ?-\ 
For  this  now  Britain  has  projected. 
Think  you  she  has  not  means  t'  effect  it  ? 
Had  she  not  set  at  work  all  engines 
To  spirit  up  the  native  Indians, 
Send  on  your  backs  the  tawney  band. 
With  each  an  hatchet  in  his  hand, 

*  It  is  asserted  that  the  roar  of  a  lion  will  turn  small 
beer  sour. 

f  Carthage  must  he  annihilated.  There  actually  existed 
a  little  time  before  the  war,  a  member  of  parliament  of 
the  name  of  Van^  who  in  a  speech  there  applied  this  fam- 
ous threat  of  Cato  to  America,  and  particularly  to  Boston, 
as  the  place  to  begin  the  work  of  destruction. 
E 


^'1 


11  ill 

11 


Mr 
'1 11 1 


w 


;i   I 


JIM!  III!'' 


illllll,! 


64 


M'FI  NO  A  L. 


T'  amuse  tlicinsclvcs  willi  scalping  knives, 
And  butclier  cliildrcn  and  vour  wives 
And  paid  them  for  your  scalps  at  sale 
More  than  your  lieads  would  fetch  by  talc ; 
That  she  might  boast  again  with  vanity, 
Her  English  national  humanity  ? 
For  now  in  its  primeval  sense 
This  term,  humafiify,  comprehends 
All  things  of  which,  on  this  side  hell, 
The  human  mind  is  capable ; 
And  thus  'tis  well,  by  writers  sage, 
Applied  to  Britain  and  to  Gage. 
On  this  brave  work  to  raise  allies, 
She  sent  her  duplicate  of  Guys, 
To  drive  at  different  parts  at  once  on 
Her  stout  Guy  Carlton  and  Guy  Johnson;* 
To  each  of  whom,  to  send  again  you. 
Old  Guy  of  Warwick  were  a  ninny, 
Though  the  dun  cow  he  fell'd  in  w  ar. 
These  killcows  are  his  betters  fiir. 

"  And  has  she  not  essay'd  her  notes 
To  rouse  your  slaves  to  cut  your  throats ; 

*  A  half-breed  son  of  the  famous  Sir  "William,  who  in- 
fluenced and  led  some  of  their  tribes  against  us  during 
the  war. 


M'FING  A  L. 


65 


Sent  o'er  ambassadors  with  guineas, 

To  bribe  your  blacks  in  Carolinas  ? 

And  has  not  Gage,  her  missionary, 

Turn'd  many  an  Afric  to  a  tory ; 

Made  the  New  England  bishop's  see  grow, 

By  many  a  new-converted  negro  ? 

As  friends  to  government,  when  he 

Your  slaves  at  Boston  late  set  free. 

Enlisted  them  in  black  parade, 

Emboss'd  with  regimental  red ; 

While  flared  the  epaulette,  like  flambeau, 

On  Captain  Cuflf  and  Ensign  Sambo ; 

And  were  they  not  accounted  then 

Among  his  very  bravest  men ; 

And  when  such  means  she  stoops  to  take, 

Think  you  she  is  not  wide  awake  ? 

As  the  good  man  of  old  in  Job 

Own'd  wondrous  allies  through  the  globe, 

Had  brought  the  stones*  along  the  street 

To  ratify  a  cov'nant  meet, 


*  The  stones  and  all  the  elements  with  thee 
Shall  ratify  a  skict  confederacy, 
Wild  beasts  their  savage  temper  shall  forget, 
And  for  a  firm  alliance  with  thee  treat,  &c. 

JSlackmore's  paraphrase  of  Job. 
6* 


il 


Tit  It 


j   i 

i 
1  '< 

Ml 
!, 

ill 

1 

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III 

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1 1:' 
1 

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ii 

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ii 

66 


M'FINO  AL. 


And  every  benst,  from  lice  to  lions, 
To  join  in  leagues  of  strict  alliance  : 
lias  she  not  cringed,  in  spite  of  pride, 
For  like  assistance,  far  and  wide, 
Till  all  this  formidable  league  rose 
Of  Indians,  British  troops  and  negroes  ? 
And  can  you  break  these  triple  bands 
By  all  your  workmanship  of  hands  ? 

"  Sir,"  quoth  Honorius,  "  we  presume 
You  guess  from  past  feats  what's  to  come, 
And  from  the  mighty  deeds  of  Gage 
Foretell  how  fierce  the  war  he'll  wage. 
You  doubtless  recollected  here 
The  annals  of  his  first  great  year: 
While,  wearying  out  the  tories'  patience, 
He  spent  his  breath  in  proclamations; 
While  all  his  mighty  noise  and  vapor 
Was  used  in  wrangling  upon  paper. 
And  boasted  military  fits 
Closed  in  the  straining  of  his  wits; 
While  troops,  in  Boston  commons  placed. 
Laid  nought,  but  quires  of  paper,  waste ; 
While  strokes  alternate  stunn'd  the  nation. 
Protest,  address,  and  proclamation, 
And  speech  met  speech,  fib  clash'd  with  fib.. 
And  Gage  still  ansvver'd,  squib  for  squib. 


M'FINU  AL. 


67 


"Though  this  not  all  his  time  was  lost  on; 
He  fortified  the  town  of  Boston, 
Built  breastworks,  that  might  lend  assistance 
To  keep  the  patriots  at  a  distance ; 
For  hovvsoe'r  the  rogues  might  scoflf 
lie  liked  them  best  the  farthest  off; 
Works  of  important  use  to  aid 
His  courage,  when  he  felt  afraid, 
And  whence  right  off,  in  manful  s'.ition, 
He'd  boldly  pop  his  proclamation. 
Our  hearts  must  in  our  bosoms  free^ie, 
At  such  heroic  deeds  as  these." 

"Vain,"  said  the  'Squire,  "you'll  find  to  sneer 
At  Gage's  first  triumphant  year ; 
For  Providence,  disposed  to  teaze  us, 
Can  use  what  instruments  it  pleases. 
To  pay  a  tax,  at  Peter's  wish, 
His  chief  cashier  was  once  a  fish ; 
An  ass,  in  Balaam's  sad  disaster, 
Turn'd  orator  and  saved  his  master ; 
A  goose,  placed  sentry  on  his  station, 
Preserved  old  Rome  from  desnlation ; 
An  English  bishop's*  cur  of  iute 
Disclosed  rebellions  'gainst  the  state ; 


*  See  Aiierbury's  trial. 


i\ 


i;ii; 


i  ■ 


iillil 


I         !! 


68 


M'FINGAL. 


So  frogs  croak'd  Pharaoh  to  repentance. 

And  lice  delay'd  the  fatal  sentence : 

And  heaven  can  ruin  you  at  pleasure. 

By  Gage,  as  soon  as  by  a  Ca3sar. 

Yet  did  our  hero  in  these  days 

Pick  up  some  laurel  wreaths  of  praise. 

And  as  the  statuary  of  Seville 

Made  his  crackt  saint  an  exc'llent  devil ; 

So  though  our  war  small  triumph  brings. 

We  gain'd  great  fame  in  other  things. 

"Did  not  our  troops  show  great  discerning, 
And  skill  your  various  arts  in  learning  ? 
Outwent  they  not  each  native  noodle 
By  far,  in  playing  Yankee  Doodle,* 
Which  as  'twas  your  New  England  tune, 
'Twas  marvellous  they  took  so  soon  ? 
And  ere  the  year  was  fully  through. 
Did  not  they  learn  to  foot  it  too,t 

*  This  was  a  native  air  of  New  England,  and  was 
often  played  in  derision  by  the  British  troops,  particular- 
ly on  their  march  to  Lexington.  Afterwards  the  captive 
army  of  Burgoyne  were  obliged  to  march  to  this  tune,  in 
the  ceremony  of  piling  their  arms  at  Saratoga. — Lond. 
Edit. 

t  At  the  battle  of  Lexintrton. 


M'FING  AL. 

And  such  a  dance,  as  ne'er  was  known, 
For  twenty  miles  on  end  lead  down  ? 
Did  they  not  lay  their  heads  together. 
And  gain  your  art  to  tar  and  feather,* 
When  Colonel  Nesbitt,  thro'  the  town. 
In  triumph  bore  the  country  clown  ? 
Oh  what  a  glorious  work  to  sing 
The  veteran  troops  of  Britain's  king, 
Adventuring  for  th'  heroic  laurel 
With  bag  of  feathers  and  tar-barrel ! 
To  paint  the  cart  where  culprits  ride, 
And  Nesbitt  marching  at  its  side, 
Great  executioner  and  proud. 
Like  hangman  high  on  Holborn-road ; 
And  o'er  the  slow-drawn  rumbling  car. 
The  waving  ensigns  of  the  war! 
As  when  a  triumph  Rome  decreed 
For  great  Caligula's  valiant  deed, 
Who  had  subdued  the  British  seas. 
By  gath'ring  cockles  from  their  base ; 


69 


*  In  the  beginning  of  1775,  to  bring  forward  an  occa- 
sion for  a  more  serious  quarrel,  than  had  yet  taken  place 
between  the  people  and  the  army,  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Nesbitt  laid  the  following  plan.  The  country  people 
being  in  the  habit  of  purchasing  arms,  he  directed  a  sol- 


r       ,"i 


vi 


..'i  „! 


pi 


i   lUJi 


70 


M'FINGAL 


In  pompous  car  the  conq'ror  bore 
His  captive  scallops  from  the  shore, 
Ovations  gain'd  his  crabs  for  fetching. 
And  mighty  feats  of  oyster-catching : 
'Gainst  Yankees  thus  the  war  begun. 
They  tarr'd,  and  triumph'd  over,  one ; 
And  fought  and  boasted  through  the  season, 
With  force  as  great  and  equal  reason. 

"Yet  thus  though  skill'd  m  vict'ry's  toils, 
They  boast,  not  unexpert,  in  wiles. 

dier  to  sell  one  of  them  an  old  rusty  musket.  The  soldier 
soon  found  a  purchaser,  a  man  who  brought  vegetables 
to  market,  who  paid  him  three  dollars  for  it.  Scarcely 
had  the  man  parted  from  the  soldier  when  he  was  seized 
by  Nesbitt  and  conveyed  to  the  guard-house,  where  he 
was  confined  all  night.  Early  next  morning  they  stripped 
him  entirely  naked,  covered  him  with  warm  tar,  and  then 
with  feathers,  placed  him  on  a  cart,  conducted  him  to  the 
north  end  of  the  town,  then  back  to  the  south  end,  as  far 
as  Liberty  Tree ;  where  the  people  began  to  collect  in 
vast  numbers,  and  the  military,  fearing  for  their  own 
safety,  dismissed  the  man,  and  made  a  retreat  to  the 
barracks. 

The  party  consisted  of  about  thirty  grenadiers  of  the 
47th  regiment,  with  fixed  bayonets,  twenty  drums  and 
fifes  playing  the  Eogue's  March,  headed  by  Nesbitt  with 
B  drawn  sword.    Lond.  Edit. 


M'FINGAL. 

For  gain'd  they  not  an  equal  fame  in 
The  arts  of  secrecy  and  scheming; 
In  stratagem  shovv'd  wondrous  force. 
And  modernized  the  Trojan  horse, 
Play'd  o'er  again  the  tricks  Ulyssean, 
In  their  famed  Salem  expedition  ? 
For  as  that  horse,  the  poets  tell  ye. 
Bore  Grecian  armies  in  its  belly. 
Till  their  full  reckoning  run,  with  joy 
Shrewd  Sinon  midwived  them  in  Troy: 
So  in  one  ship  was  Leslie  bold 
Cramm'd  with  three  hundred  men  in  hold, 
Equipp'd  for  enterprise  and  sail. 
Like  Joiiah  stow'd  in  womb  of  whale. 
To  Marblehead  in  depth  of  night 
The  cautious  vessel  wing'd  her  flight. 
And  now  the  sabbath's  silent  day 
Call'd  all  your  Yankees  oflf  to  pray ; 
Safe  from  each  prying  jealous  neighbor. 
The  scheme  and  vessel  fell  in  labor. 
Forth  from  its  hollow  womb  poured  hast'ly 
The  myrmidons  of  Colonel  Leslie. 
Not  thicker  o'er  the  blacken'd  strand. 
The  frogs  detachment,*  rush'd  to  land, 


71 


*  See  Ilomer's  Battle  of  the  Frogs  and  Mice. 


\m 


'I.    ■! 

■j   ,  ; 


14 


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ifi 

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72 


M'FING  AL. 


Furious  oy  onset  and  surprise 
To  storm  th'  entrenchment  of  the  mice. 
Through  Salem  straight,  without  delay, 
The  bold  battalion  took  its  way, 
March'd  o'er  a  bridge,*  in  open  sight 
Of  several  Yankees  arm'd  for  fight ; 
Then  without  loss  of  time  or  men, 
Veer'd  round  for  Boston  back  again. 
And  found  so  well  their  projects  thrive. 
That  every  soul  got  home  alive. 

"Thus  Gage's  arms  did  fortune  bless 
With  triumph,  safety  and  success. 


*  The  object  of  this  expedition  was  to  seize  some  pro- 
vincial artillery  and  stores,  placed  at  a  short  distance 
from  Salem.  Notwithstanding  his  stratagem,  when  he 
came  to  a  small  river  which  lay  between,  Leslie  found 
the  bridge  taken  up,  the  stores  removed,  and  the  people 
alarmed  and  rapidly  collecting  in  his  front,  as  well  as 
rear.  He  then  opened  a  parley,  and  promised  that  if 
they  would  lay  down  the  bridge  and  suffer  him  to  march 
over  it,  he  would  immediately  return  from  whence  he 
came,  without  doing  harm  to  any  person  or  thing.  The 
treaty  was  concluded;  Leslie  marched  with  his  party 
over  the  bridge,  wheeled  about  instantly  and  returned  to 
Boston ;  having  performed  every  article  on  his  part,  with 
the  greatest  honor  and  safety. 


'iLi,^,  I'.'!' 


M'FINQAL. 


73 


But  mercy  is  without  dispute 

His  first  and  darling  attribute ; 

So  great,  it  far  outwent  and  conquer'd 

His  military  skill  at  f^  acord. 

There,  when  the  war  he  chose  to  wage, 

Shone  the  benevolence  of  Gage ; 

Sent  troops  to  thut  ill-omen'd  place. 

On  errands  mere  of  special  grace ; 

And  all  the  work  he  chose  them  for. 

Was  to  prevent  a  civil  war;* 

For  which  kind  purpose  he  projected 

The  only  certain  way  t'  effect  it. 

To  seize  your  powder,  shot  and  arms. 

And  all  your  means  of  doing  harms ; 

As  prudent  folks  take  knives  away, 

Lest  children  cut  themselves  at  play. 

And  yet,  when  this  was  all  his  scheme. 

The  war  you  still  will  charge  on  him ; 

And  tho'  he  oft  has  swore  and  said  it, 

Stick  close  to  facts,  and  give  no  credit. 

Think  you,  he  wish'd  you'd  brave  and  beard  him  ? 

Why,  'twas  the  very  thing,  that  scared  him. 


*  This  Gage  solemnly  declared  in  a  letter  to  Governor 
Trumbull  of  Connecticut,  soon  after  the  expedition.  The 
correspondence  was  immediately  published. 

7 


;h^^^^ 


iil 


I'tll! 

I'i' 

ill"! 
i    iiiilil 


74 


M'FINGAL. 


He'd  rather  you  should  all  have  run, 

Than  staid  to  fire  a  single  gun. 

So  for  the  civil  war  you  lament, 

Faith,  you  yourselves  must  take  the  blame  in't ; 

For  had  you  then,  as  he  intended, 

Given  up  your  arms,  it  must  have  ended : 

Since  that's  no  war,  each  mortal  knows, 

Where  one  side  only  gives  the  blows,* 

And  t'  others  bears  them ;  on  reflection 

The  most  we  call  it  is  correction. 

Nor  could  the  contest  have  gone  higher. 

If  you  had  ne'er  return'd  the  fire : 

But  when  you  shot,  and  not  before. 

It  then  commenced  a  civil  war. 

Else  Gage,  to  end  this  controversy. 

Had  but  corrected  you  in  mercy ; 

Whom  mother  Britain,  old  and  wise. 

Sent  o'er,  the  colonies  to  chastise ; 

Command  obedience  on  their  peril 

Of  ministerial  whip  and  ferule ; 

*  Si   rixa   est,  ubi  tu  pulsas,  ego  vapulo    tantum. 

tTuvenal. 

It  was  deemed  both  by  the  British  and  Americans,  a 
matter  of  the  utmost  importance  to  determine  which  par- 
ty began  the  war.    Some  hundreds  of  depositions  were 


MTINGAL.  75 

And  since  they  ne'er  must  come  of  age, 
Govern'd  and  tutor'd  them  by  Gage. 
Still  more,  that  mercy  was  their  errand, 
The  army's  conduct  makes  apparent. 
What  though  at  Lexington  you  can  say, 
They  kill'd  a  few,  they  did  not  fancy ; 
At  Concord  then  with  manful  popping, 
Discharged  a  round,  the  ball  to  open ; 
Yet  when  they  saw  your  rebel  rout 
Determined  still  to  brave  it  out, 
Did  they  not  show  their  love  of  peace. 
Their  wish  that  discord  straight  might  cease ; 
Demonstrate,  and  by  proofs  uncommon. 
Their  orders  were  to  injure  no  man  ?* 


taken  in  the  dispute,  and  it  was  fully  proved  that  hostili- 
ties were  first  commenced  at  Lexington  by  the  British 
troops,  who  fired  on  a  company  of  militia,  assembling 
under  arms,  kMled  eight  on  the  first  discharge,  and  dis- 
persed the  rest  without  opposition.  The  popularity  of 
the  war,  in  England  as  well  ua  in  America,  depended 
greatly  at  that  time  on  the  result  of  this  enquiry — frivo- 
lous as  it  may  now  appear. 

*  This  was  another  assertion  by  Gage,  in  his  letter 
mentioned  in  the  former  note. 


1.    1  3 


:i      t 


IW 


lip'wi  Hr 


I    ! 


'lt:iil 


76 


M'FINGAL. 


For  did  not  every  regular*  run, 

As  soon  as  e'er  you  fired  a  gun ; 

Take  the  first  shot  you  sent  them,  greeting, 

As  meant  their  signal  for  retreating ; 

And  feariiil,  if  they  staid  for  sport, 

You  might  by  accident  be  hurt. 

Convey  themselves  with  speed  away 

Full  twenty  miles  in  half  a  day ; 

Race  till  their  legs  were  grown  so  weary. 

They  scarce  sufficed  their  weight  to  tarry  ? 

Whence  Gage  extols,  from  general  hearsay, 

The  great  activity  of  Lord  Percy  ;t 

Whose  brave  example  led  them  on, 

And  spirited  the  troops  to  run ; 

Who  now  may  boast,  at  royal  levees, 

A  Yankee-chace  worth  forty  Chevys. 

"Yet  you,  as  vile  as  they  were  kind. 
Pursued,  like  tigers,  still  behind ; 


*  a.n  the  former  wars  in  America,  the  term  Regulars, 
was  applied  to  the  British  troops,  to  distinguish  them 
from  the  Provincials,  or  new  levies  of  the  country. 

f  "Too  much  praise  cannot  be  given  to  Lord  Percy 
for  his  remarkable  activity  through  the  whole  day." 

Gage's  account  of  the  Lexington  battle.  . 


M'FINQAL.  77 

Fired  on  them  at  your  will,  and  shut 
The  town,  as  though  you'd  starve  them  out ; 
And  with  parade  preposterous*  hedged. 
Affect  to  hold  them  there  besieged  : 
Though  Gage,  whom  proclamations  call 
Your  Gov'rnor  and  Vice  Admiral, 
Whose  power  gubernatorial  still 
Extends  as  far  as  Bunker's  hill. 
Whose  admiralty  reaches,  clever, 
Near  half  a  mile  up  Mistic  river. 
Whose  naval  force  yet  keeps  the  seas. 
Can  run  away  whene'er  he'd  please. 
Nay,  stern  with  rage  grim  Putnam  boiling, 
Plunder'd  both  Hogg  and  Noddle  Island  ;t 
Scared  troops  of  Tories  into  town, 
Burn'd  all  their  hay  and  houses  down, 
And  menaced  Gage,  unless  he'd  flee. 
To  drive  him  headlong  to  the  sea ; 
As  once,  to  faithless  Jews  a  sign. 
The  De'el,  turn"d  hog-reeve,  did  the  swine. 


*  "  And  with  a  preposterous  parade  of  military  arrange- 
ment, they  affect  to  hold  the  army  besieged." 

Oage's  last  grand  proclamation. 


f  Two  islands  in  the  harbor  of  Boston. 
7* 


I  I'l 


I  'i..!!.!::!'!  I 


! 

11  li 


;r| 


i  :' 


78 


M'FINGAL. 


"But  now  your  triumphs  all  are  o'er ; 
For  see  from  Britain's  angry  shore, 
With  deadly  hosts  of  valor  join 
Her  Howe,  her  Clinton,  and  Burgoyne  ! 
As  comets  thro'  th'  affrighted  skies 
Pour  baleful  ruin  as  they  rise ; 
As  iEtna  with  infernal  roar 
In  conflagration  sneers  the  shore; 
Or  as  Abijah  White,*  when  sent 
Our  Marshfield  friends  to  represent, 
Himself  while  dread  array  involves. 
Commissions,  pistols,  swords,  resolves. 
In  awful  pomp  descending  down 
Bore  terror  on  the  factious  town  : 
Not  with  less  glory  and  affright. 
Parade  these  generals  forth  to  fight. 
No  more  each  British  colonel  runs 
From  whizzing  beetles,  as  air-guns ; 


*  He  was  representative  of  Marshfield,  and  was  employ- 
ed to  carry  to  Boston  their  famous  town-resolves,  censur- 
ing the  Whigs  and  reprobating  the  destruction  of  the 
Tea.  He  armed  himself  in  as  ridiculous  military  array, 
as  a  second  Hudibras,  pretending  he  was  afraid  he  should 
be  robbed  of  them. 


j 


M'FINGAL.  70 

Thinks  horn-bugs  bullets,  or  thro'  fears 

Muskltoes  takes  for  musketeers;* 

Nor  scapes,  as  if  you'd  gain'd  supplies, 

From  Beelzebub's  whole  host  ot  flies, 

No  bug  these  warUke  hearts  appalls ; 

They  better  know  the  sound  of  balls. 

I  hear  the  din  of  battle  bray ; 

The  trump  of  horror  marks  its  way. 

I  see  afar  the  sack  of  cities. 

The  gallows  strung  with  Whig-committees; 

Your  moderators  triced,  like  vermin, 

And  gate-posts  graced  with  heads  of  chairmen; 


*  Absurd  as  this  may  appear,  it  was  a  fact.  Some 
British  officers,  soon  after  Gage's  arrival  in  Boston,  walk- 
mg  on  Beacon-Hill  after  sunset,  were  affrighted  by  noises 
in  the  air  (supposed  to  be  the  flying  of  bugs  and  beetles) 
which  they  took  to  be  the  sound  of  bullets.  They  left 
the  hill  with  great  precipitation,  spread  the  alarm  in  their 
encampment,  and  wrote  terrible  accounts  to  England  of 
being  shot  at  with  air-guns ;  as  appears  by  their  letters, 
extracts  from  which  were  soon  after  published  in  the 
London  papers.  Indeed,  for  some  time  they  seriously  be- 
lieved, that  the  Americans  were  possessed  of  a  kind  of 
magic  white  powder,  which  explovled  and  killed  without 
report. 

F 


i  ill 


I     '4 


ift'lM 


m 


ii  i  !  Illll! 
li"" 


80 


M '  F  1  N  a  A  L . 


Your  Congress  lor  uave-ofT'rings  hanging, 

And  ladders  tlirong'd  with  priests  haranguing. 

What  pillories  glad  the  Tories'  eyes 

With  patriot  ears  for  sacrifice  ! 

What  whipping-posts  your  chosen  race 

Admit  successive  in  embrace, 

While  each  bears  off  his  sins,  alack! 

Like  Bunyans's  pilgrim,  on  his  back!* 

Where  then,  when  Tories  scarce  get  clear, 

Shall  Whigs  and  Congresses  appear  ? 

What  rocks  and  mountains  will  you  call 

To  wrap  you  over  with  their  fall. 

And  save  your  heads  in  these  sad  weathers, 

From  fire  and  sword,  and  tar  and  feathers  ? 

For  lo  !  with  British  troops  tar  bright. 

Again  our  Nesbitt  heaves  in  sight ; 

He  comes,  he  comes,  your  lines  to  storm, 

And  rig  your  troops  in  uniform.f 


*  Bunyan  represents  his  pilgrim,  as  setting  fortli  bur- 
dened with  a  very  heavy  pack,  containing  all  his  sins, 
original  and  actual. 

t  This  want  of  uniform  dresses  in  the  American  army 
was  a  constant  theme  of  ridicule  with  the  British,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  war. 


M'FINOAL.  ^ 

To  meet  such  heroes  will  yc  hrag, 
Witli  fury  iirui'd,  uud  feather-ba^, 
Who  wield  their  missile  pitch  and  tar 
With  engines  new  in  British  war  ? 

"Lo!  where  our  mighty  navy  brings 
Destruction  on  her  canvass  wings,* 
While  through  the  deep  the  British  thunder 
Shall  sound  th'alarm,  to  rob  and  plunder ! 
As  Plutbus  first,  so  Homer  speaks, 
When  he  march'd  out  t'  attack  the  Greeks, 
'Gainst  mules  sent  forth  his  arrows  fatal, 
And  slew  th'  auxiliaries,  their  cattle : 
So  where  our  shipsj  shall  stretch  the  keel, 
What  vanquish'd  oxen  shall  they  steal ! 
What  heroes,  rising  from  the  deep. 
Invade  your  marshall'd  hosts  of  sheep; 
Disperse  whole  troops  of  horse,  and  pressing, 
Make  cows  surrender  at  discretion; 
Attack  your  hens,  like  Alexanders, 
And  regiments  rout  of  geese  and  ganders; 


*  Wliere'er  our  navy  spreads  her  canvas  wings, 
Ilonor  to  thee  and  peace  to  all  she  brings.  Walkr. 

f  The  British  navy  was  at  first  employed  in  plunder- 
ing our  seacoasts,  to  obtain  fresh  provisions. 


:!!'':  s 


111 


'■M 


i;,'i 


I'i 


J     M 


'!  t- 


Mil 


■    :r11; 


Miit 

ill 

,!i 


t 


I'i,;! 


82 


M'FING  AL. 


Or  where  united  arms  combine, 
Lead  captive  many  a  herd  of  swine! 
Then  rush  in  dreadful  fury  down 
To  fire  on  every  seaport  town  ; 
Display  their  glory  and  their  wits, 
Fright  helpless  children  into  fits ; 
And  stoutly,  from  the  unequal  fray. 
Make  many  a  woman  run  away. 

"  And  can  ye  doubt,  whene'er  we  please, 
dar  chiefs  shall  boast  such  deeds  as  these  ? 
Have  we  not  chiefs  transcending  far 
The-  old  famed  thunderbolts  ofwar;* 
Beyond  the  brave  knight-errant  fighters, 
Styled  swords  of  death,  by  novel-writers  ; 
Nor  in  romancing  ages  e'er  rose 
So  terrible  a  tier  of  heroes. 
From  Gage  what  sounds  alarr.  the  waves ! 
How  loud  a  blunderbuss  is  Graves  !| 
How  Newport  dreads  the  blustering  sallies, 
That  thunder  from  our  popgun,  Wallace, 

*  duo  fulmina  belli, 

Scipiadas.  Virgil. 

f  Graves  was  admiral ;  Wallace,  Captain  of  a  frigate 
stationed  before  Newport. 


M'FING  AL. 


83 


While  noise  in  formidable  strains, 

Spouts  from  his  thimble-full  of  brains ! 

I  see  you  sink  in  awed  surprise  ! 

I  see  our  Tory  brethren  rise ! 

And  as  the  sect'ries  Sandemanian, 

Our  friends,  describe  their  hoped  millennium  ;* 

Boast  how  the  world  in  every  region 

At  once  shall  own  their  true  religion, 

For  heaven  shall  knock,  with  vengeance  dread. 

All  unbelievers  on  the  head ; 

And  then  their  church,  the  meek  in  spirit, 

The  earth,  as  promised,  shall  inherit 

From  the  dead  wicked,  as  heirs  male. 

Or  next  remainder-men  in  tail : 

Such  ruin  shall  the  Whigs  oppress ; 

Such  spoils  our  Tory  friends  shall  bless ; 

While  Confiscation  at  command 

Shall  stalk  in  terror  through  the  land, 

Shall  give  all  whig-estates  away, 

And  call  our  brethren  into  play. 

"And  can  you  pause,  or  scruple  more? 
These  things  are  near  you,  at  the  door. 


*  The  year  1793  was  the  period  they  fixed  upon,  for 
this  event  to  take  place. 


!!-; 


'i    f  I 


I'll 


■I    I 


>  ! 


84  M'FINOAL. 

Behold  !  for  though  to  reasoning  blind, 
Signs  of  the  times  you  still  might  mind, 
And  view  impending  fate,  as  plain 
As  you'd  foretell  a  shower  of  rain. 

"  Hath  not  heaven  warn'd  you  what  must  en- 
And  providence  declared  against  you  ?  [»ue 

Hung  forth  the  dire  port<'nts  of  war 
By  lires  and  beacons  in  tl»e  air  ;* 
Alarm'd  old  women  aJl  around 
With  fearful  noises  uncier  ground, 
While  earth,  for  many  a  hundred  leagues, 
Groan'd  with  her  dismal  load  of  Whius  ? 
Was  there  a  meteor,  far  and  wide, 
But  muster'd  on  the  Tory  side  ; 
A  star  malign,  that  has  not  bent 
Its  aspects  for  the  parliament. 


*  Stories  of  prodigies  were  at  that  time  industriously 
propagated  by  the  Tories  in  various  parts  of  New  Eng- 
land, and  with  some  success  in  alarming  and  intimidating 
the  superstitious.  In  fact,  about  the  commencement  of 
the  war,  a  large  meteor  passed  through  our  atmosphere, 
and  the  aurora  borealis  appeared  more  frequently,  and 
assumed  more  singular  appearances,  than  usual.  These 
materials  were  sufficient  for  a  beginning ;  nonsense  easily 
supplied  the  rest. 


M'FINGAL. 

Forboding  your  defeat  and  misery, 
As  once  they  fought  against  old  Sisera  ? 
Was  there  a  cloud,  that  spread  the  skies, 
But  bore  our  armies  of  allies, 
While  dreadful  hosts  of  flame  stood  forth 
In  baleful  streamers  from  the  north  ? 
Which  plainly  show'd  what  part  they  join'd  ; 
For  North's  the  minister,  ye  mind ; 
Whence  oft  your  quibblers  in  gazettes 
On  Northern  blasts  have  strain'd  their  wits ; 
And  think  you  not,  the  clouds  know  how 
To  make  the  pun,  as  well  you  ? 
I>kl  there  arise  an  apparition, 
Hhit  grinn'd  forth  ruin  to  sedition ; 
A  death-watch,  but  has  join'd  our  leagues. 
And  ^'iick'd  destruction  to  the  Whigs  ? 
Heard  ye  no*,  when  the  wind  wag  fair. 
At  night  our  prophets  in  the  air. 
Who,  loud,  like  admiralty  libel, 
Read  awful  chapters  from  0.,'^  Btj  le, 
And  war  and  plague  and  deat'i  ueuounced. 
And  told  you  how  you'd  soo.i  be  troun  -ed  ? 
I  see,  to  join  our  conq'ring  side. 
Heaven,  earth  and  hell  at  once  allied ; 
See  from  your  overthrow  and  end, 
The  Tory  paradise  ascend, 

8 


85 


II  1 


:! 

i 
\ 

i  ; 
i    ,1  , 

1 

■  1, 

•1 

ill 

l»,  :■ 

j 

■  ! 

■    i 

i'  .i^! 


86 


M'FINGAL. 


Like  tiiat  new  world,  which  claims  its  station, 

Beyond  the  final  conflagration. 

I  see  the  day,  that  lots  your  share 

In  utter  darkness  and  despair ; 

The  day  of  joy,  when  North,  our  lord. 

His  faithful  fav'rites  shall  reward. 

No  Tory  then  shall  set  before  him 

Small  wish  of  'Squire  and  Justice  Quorum ; 

But  to  his  unmistaken  eyes 

See  lordships,  posts  and  pensions  rise. 

"  Awake  to  gladness  then,  ye  Tories  ! 
Th'  unbounded  prospect  lies  before  us. 
The  power,  display'd  in  Gages  banners. 
Shall  cut  their  fertile  lands  to  manors ; 
And  o'er  our  happy  conquer'd  ground. 
Dispense  estates  and  titles  round. 
Behold  !  the  world  shall  stare  at  new  setts 
Of  home-made  Earls*  in  Massachusetts ; 
Admire,  array'd  in  ducal  tassels, 
Your  Ol'vers,  Hutchinsons,  and  Vassals ; 
See  join'd  in  ministerial  work 
His  Grace  of  Albany  and  York. 
"What  lordships  from  each  carved  estate, 
On  our  New  York  Assembly  wait ! 

*  See  Hutchinson's  and  Oliver's  letters. 


M'FINGAL. 


87 


What  titl  ancys,  Gales,  and  Billops;* 

Lord  Brus..,  Lord  Wilkins,  and  Lord  Philips ! 

In  wide-sleeved  pomp  of  godly  guise, 

What  solemn  rows  of  Bishops  rise  ! 

Aloft  a  cardinal's  hat  is  spread 

O'er  punster  Cooper's  reverend  head. 

In  Vardell,  that  poetic  zealot,t 

I  view  a  lawn-bedizen'd  Prelate  ; 

While  mitres  fall,  as  'tis  their  duty, 

On  heads  of  Chandler  and  Auchnmty  ! 

Knights,  viscounts,  barons,  shall  ye  meet. 

As  thick  as  pebbles  in  the  street ; 

E'en  I  perhaps  (heaven  speed  my  claim  !) 

Shall  fix  a  sir  before  my  name. 

For  titles  all  our  foreheads  ache. 

For  what  blest  changes  can  they  make ! 

Place  Reverence,  Grace,  and  Excellence, 

Where  neither  claim'd  the  least  pretence ; 


*  Members  of  the  miulsterial  miijority  in  tlie  Legisla- 
ture of  New  York. 

•f  Cooper,  President  of  King's  College  in  New  York, 
was  a  notorious  punster ;  Vardell,  author  of  some  poetical 
satires  on  the  sons  of  liberty  in  New  York  ;  Chandler  and 
Auchmuty,  high-church  and  tory  writers  of  the  clerii'nl 
order. 


Il 


$  lip 


1: 


^:i    I'i 

i"''  ■'; 

i'l 

!'» 

i! 

J 

1 
I 

1 

88 


M'FINGAL.. 


Transform  by  pau  kit's  magic  words 
Men,  likest  devils,  into  Lords 
Whence  commoners,  to  Peers  translated, 
Are  justly  said  to  be  created.* 
Now  were  commissioners  you  saw, 
Shall  boards  of  nobles  deal  you  law ; 
Long-robed  comptrollers  judge  your  rights, 
And  tide-waiters  start  up  in  knights. 
While  Whigs  subdued,  in  slavish  awe, 
Our  wood  shall  hew,  our  water  draw, 
And  bless  the  mildness,  when  past  hope, 
That  saved  their  necks  from  noose  of  rope. 
For  since  our  leaders  lave  decreed, 
Their  blacks  to  join  us,  shall  be  freed, 
To  hang  the  conquer'd  whigs,  we  all  see, 
Would  prove  but  weak,  and  thriftless  policy. 
Except  their  Chiefs :  the  vulgar  knaves 
Will  do  more  good,  preserved  for  slaves." 

"  'Tis  well,"  Honorius  cried ;  "  your  scheme 
Has  painted  out  a  pretty  dream. 
We  can't  confute  your  second-sight ; 
We  shall  be  slaves  and  you  a  knight. 

*  "  To  creah  a  Pner"  is  the  English  technical  phrase. 
— Considering  i-he  materials  frequently  made  use  of,  it  is 
easy  to  perc'?iv>;  the  propriety  of  the  expression.  Thus 
Adam  was  fanned  of  the  duat  of  the  ground.     Gen,  ii.  7. 


M'FING  AL. 

These  things  must  come,  but  I  divine, 
They'll  come  not  in  your  day,  nor  mine. 

"But,  oh  my  friends,  my  brethren,  hear; 
And  turn  for  once  th'  attentive  ear. 
Ye  see  how  prompt  to  aid  our  woes 
The  tender  mercies  of  our  foes  j 
Ye  see  with  what  unvaried  rancour 
Still  for  our  blood  their  minions  hanker; 
Nor  aught  can  sate  their  mad  ambition. 
From  us,  but  death,  or  worse,  submission^ 
Shall  these  then  riot  in  our  spoil. 
Reap  the  glad  harvest  of  our  toil. 
Rise  from  their  country's  ruins  proud, 
And  roll  their  chariot-wheels  in  blood  ? 
See  Gage,  with  inauspicious  star, 
Has  oped  the  gates  of  civil  war. 
When  streams  of  gore,  from  freedom  slain, 
Encrimson'd  Concord's  fatal  plain ; 
Whose  warning  voice,  with  awful  sound. 
Still  cries,  like  Abel's  from  the  ground ; 
And  heaven,  attentive  to  its  call, 
Shall  doom  the  proud  oppressor's  fall. 

"  Rise  then,  ere  ruin  swift  surprize. 
To  victory,  to  vengeance  rise. 
Hark,  iiow  tlio  distmil    liii  alarms; 
The  echoiiiy  Iniiinicl  hmillies,  to  arms. 

8* 


89 


^i^^ 


^ 


90 


M'FING  AL. 


i!       I 


'•V.< 


From  provinces  remote  afar, 

The  sons  of  glory  rouse  to  war. 

'Tis  Freedom  calls !  the  raptured  sound 

The  Apalachian  hills  rebound. 

The  Georgian*  coasts  her  voice  shall  hear, 

And  start  from  lethargies  of  fear. 

From  the  parch'd  zone,  with  glowing  ray 

Where  pours  the  sun  intenser  day, 

To  shores  where  icy  waters  roll, 

And  tremble  to  the  glimm'ring  pole. 

Inspired  by  freedom's  heavenly  charms, 

United  nations  wake  to  arms. 

The  star  of  conquest  lights  their  way. 

And  guides  their  vengeance  on  their  prey. 

Yes,  though  tyrannic  force  oppose. 

Still  shall  they  triumph  o'er  their  foes ; 

Till  heaven  the  happy  land  shall  bless 

With  safety,  liberty,  and  peace. 

"And  ye,  whose  souls  of  dastard  mould 
Start  at  the  bravery  of  the  bold ;  ^ 

To  love  your  country  who  pretend, 
Yet  want  all  spirit  to  defend ; 
Who  feel  your  fancies  so  prolific, 
Engend'ring  visions  whims  terrific, 

*  The  province  of  Georgia  bad  not  then  joined  the 
union. 


1 


m 


;,::f'-i; 


M'FING  AL. 


01 


O'errun  with  horrors  of  coercion, 

Fire,  blood,  and  thunder  in  reversion  ; 

King's  standards,  pill'ries,  confiscations, 

And  Gage's  scare-crow  proclamations ; 

Who  scarce  could  rouse,  if  caught  in  fray, 

Presence  of  mind  to  run  awfiv  :  * 

See  nought  but  halters  rise  to  view, 

In  all  your  dreams,  and  deem  them  true  ; 

And  while  these  phantoms  haunt  your  brains, 

Bow  down  your  willing  necks  to  chains. 

Heavens !  are  ye  sons  of  sires  so  great, 

Immortal  in  the  fields  of  fate. 

Who  braved  all  deaths,  by  land  or  sea. 

Who  bled,  who  conquer'd,  to  be  free  ? 

Hence  coward  souls,  the  worst  disgrace 

Of  our  forefathers'  valiant  race ; 

Hie  homeward  from  the  glorious  field, 

There  turn  the  wheel,  the  distaflf  wield  ; 

Act  wiiat  ye  are,  nor  dare  to  stain 

The  warrior's  arms  with  touch  profane ; 

There  beg  your  more  heroic  wives 

To  guard  your  own,  your  children's  lives ; 

Beneath  their  aprons  seek  a  screen, 

Nor  dare  to  mingle  more  with  men." 

As  thus  he  spake,  the  Tories'  anger 
Could  now  restrain  itself  no  longer ; 


92 


M'l'l  N  Ci  A  L. 


Who  tried  before  by  many  a  freak,  or 
Insulting  noise,  to  stop  the  speaker ; 
Swung  th'  un-oii'd  liinge  of  each  pew-door, 
Tiii'ir  feet  kept  shuffling  on  the  floor ; 
Made  their  disapprobation  known 
By  many  a  murmur,  hum  and  groan. 
That  to  his  speech  supplied  the  place 
Of  counterpart  in  thorough  bass. 
Thus  bagpipes,  while  the  tune  they  breathe, 
Still  drone  and  grumble  underneath  ; 
And  the  famed  Demosthenes* 
Harangued  the  rumbling  of  the  seas, 
Held  forth  with  elocution  grave. 
To  audience  loud  of  wind  and  wave ; 
And  had  a  stiller  congregation, 
Than  Tories  are,  to  hear  th'  oration. 
The  uproar  now  grew  high  and  louder. 
As  nearer  thund'rings  of  a  cloud  are. 
And  every  soul  with  heart  and  voice 
Supplied  his  quota  of  the  noise. 
Each  listening  ear  was  set  on  torture. 
Each  Tory  bellowing,  "  Order,  Order ;" 


':. 


*  Demosthenes,  the  Grecian  orator,  is  said  to  have 
exercised  his  voice,  by  declaiming  to  the  waves  in  a  gale ; 
Avliich  party  made  the  most  noise,  history  does  not  inform 


us. 


have 
gale; 
iform 


M'FINO  AL. 

And  some,  with  tongue  not  low  or  weak, 

Were  clam'ring  fust,  for  leave  to  speak  ; 

The  Moderator,  with  great  v'lence. 

The  cushion  thuinp'd  with,  "  Silence,  Silence 

The  constable  to  every  prater 

Bavvl'd  out,  "  Tray  hear  the  moderator ;'' 

Some  call'd  the  vote,  and  some  in  turn 

"Were  screaming  high,  "  Ad'mrn,  Adjourn.'* 

Not  Chaos  heard  such  jars  lashes, 

When  all  the  el'ments  fougiit  for  places. 

The  storm  each  moment  fiercer  grew ; 

His  sword  the  great  M'Fijmgal  drew, 

Prepared  in  either  chance  to  share, 

To  keep  the  peace,  or  aid  the  war. 

Nor  lack'd  they  each  poetic  being, 

Whom  bards  alone  are  skill'd  in  seeing  ; 

Plumed  Victory  stood  perch'd  on  high. 

Upon  the  pulpit-canopy. 

To  join,  as  is  her  custom  tried. 

Like  Indians,  on  the  strongest  side  ; 

The  Destinies,  with  shears  and  distaff. 

Drew  near  their  threads  of  life  to  twist  off; 

The  Furies  'gan  to  feast  on  blows. 

And  broken  head,  and  bloody  nose : 

When  on  a  sudden  from  without 

Arose  a  loud  terrific  shout ; 


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(716)I72-4S03 


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94 


M'FINGAL. 


And  straight  the  people  all  at  once  heard 
Of  tongues  an  universal  concert; 
Like  ^sop's  times,  as  fable  runs, 
When  every  creature  talk'd  at  once. 
Or  like  the  variegated  gabble, 
That  crazed  the  carpenters  of  Babel. 
Each  party  soon  forsook  the  quarrel, 
And  let  the  other  go  on  parol, 
Eager  to  know  what  fearful  matter 
Had  conjured  up  such  general  clatter ; 
And  left  the  church  in  thin  array, 
As  though  it  had  been  lecture-day.* 
Our  'Squire  M'Fingal  straitway  beckon'd 
The  Constable  to  stand  his  second ; 
And  sallied  forth  with  aspect  fierce 
The  crowd  assembled  to  disperse. 


*  In  the  New  England  churches,  previous  to  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  sacrament,  religious  service  was  per- 
formed, and  a  sermon  preached,  on  some  day  in  the  week 
preceding.  These  sermons  were  styled  Lectures,  and  the 
day  called  Lecture-day.  But  usually  these  meetings  were 
very  thinly  attended,  like  the  Wall-lectures  in  the  English 
Universities,  in  which  to  supply  an  audience,  they  depend 
on  the  proverb,  that  Walls  have  ears.  See  V.  Knox's 
Essays,  No.  77. 


.1    '   i 


M'FING  AL. 


95 


The  Moderator,  out  of  view, 
Beneath  the  desk  had  lain  perdue ; 
Peep'd  up  his  head  to  view  the  fray, 
Beheld  the  wranglers  run  away, 
And  left  alone,  with  solemn  face 
Adjourn'd  them  without  time  or  place. 

nists  with  the  other  subjects  of  the  British  Dominion. — 
On  this,  Hutchinson's  letters  were  immediately  published 
in  Boston,  to  the  utter  confusion  of  all  his  pretensions, 
political  and  religious. 

*  Alluding  to  the  famous  cargo  of  tea,  which  was 
destroyed  in  Boston  harbor,  the  consignees  of  which  were 
the  tools  of  the  British  ministry. 

*  Peter  Oliver  Esq.,  without  legal  science  or  profession- 
al education,  was  appointed  Chief  Judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court  in  Massachusetts. 

the  greatest  honor  and  safety. 

END   OF   CANTO   SECOND. 


*  The  object  of  this  expedition  was  to  seize  some  pro- 
vincial artillery  and  stores,  placed  at  a  short  distance 
from  Salem.  Notwithstanding  his  stratagem,  when  he 
came  to  a  small  river  which  lay  between,  Leslie  found 
the  bridge  taken  up,  the  stores  removed,  and  the  people 
alarmed  and  rapidly  collecting  in  his  front,  as  well  as 
rear.  He  then  opened  a  parley,  and  promised  that  if 
they  would  lay  down  the  bridge  and  suffer  him  to  march 
over  it,  he  would  immediately  return  from  whence  he 
came,  without  doing  harm  to  any  person  or  thing.  The 
treaty  Was  concluded;  Leslie  marched  with  his  party 
over  the  bridge,  wheeled  about  instantly  and  returned  to 
Boston ;  having  performed  every  article  on  his  part,  with 


M'F  ING  AL. 


CANTO  IIL 


THE  LIBERTY  POLE. 


la 


rOW  warm  with  ministerial  ire, 
Fierce  sallied  forth  our  loyal  'Squire, 
And  on  his  striding  steps  attends 
His  desperate  clan  of  Tory  friends. 

When  sudden  met  his  wrathful  eye 

A  pole  ascending  through  the  sky, 

Which  numerous  throngs  of  whiggish  race 

Were  raising  in  the  market-place. 

Not  higher  school-boys's  kites  aspire. 

Or  royal  mast,  or  country  spire ; 

Like  spears  at  Brobdignagian  tilting, 

Or  Satan's  walking-staff  in  Milton. 

And  on  its  top,  the  flag  unfurl'd 

Waved  triumph  o'er  the  gazing  world. 


M'FINGAL.  97 

Inscribed  with  inconsistent  types 
Of  Liberty  and  thirteen  stripes  J^ 
Beneath,  the  crowd  without  delay 
The  dedication-rites  essay, 
And  gladly  pay,  in  ancient  fashion. 
The  ceremonies  of  libation ; 
While  briskly  to  each  patriot  lip 
Walks  eager  round  the  inspiring  flip  :* 
Delicious  draught !  whose  powers  inherit 
The  quintessence  of  public  spirit ; 
Which  whoso  tastes,  perceives  his  mind 
To  nobler  politics  refined ; 
Or  roused  to  martial  controversy. 
As.  from  transforming  cups  of  Circe  ; 
Or  warm'd  with  Homer's  nectar'd  liquor. 
That  fiU'd  the  veins  of  gods  with  ichor. 
At  hand  for  xvq^'  supplies  in  store. 
The  tavern  opes  its  friendly  door, 
Whence  to  and  fro  the  waiters  run. 
Like  bucket-men  at  fires  in  town. 

*  The  American  flag.  It  would  doubtless  be  wrong 
to  imagine  that  the  stripes  bear  any  allusion  to  the  slave 
trade. 

f  Flip,  a  liquor  composed  of  beer,  rum,  and  sugar ;  the 
common  treat  at  that  time  in  the  country  towns  of  New 

England. 

9 


C8 


M'FINGAL. 


i       V 


'■i  ■  fr*l  .1 


Then  with  three  shouts  that  tore  the  sky, 
'Tis  consecrate  to  Liberty 
To  guard  it  from  th'  attacks  of  Tories, 
A  grand  committee  call'd  of  four  is ; 
Who  foremost  on  the  patriot  spot, 
Had  brought  the  flip  and  paid  the  shot. 

By  this,  M'FiNGAL  with  his  train 
Advanced  upon  th'  adjacent  plain, 
And  full  with  loyalty  possesst, 
Pour'd  forth  the  zeal,  that  fired  his  breast. 

"  What  mad-brain'd  rebel  gave  commission, 
To  raise  this  May-pole  of  sedition  ? 
Like  Babel,  rear'd  by  bawling  throngs, 
With  like  confusion  too  of  tongues, 
To  point  at  heaven  and  summon  down 
The  thunders  of  the  British  crown? 
Say,  will  this  paltry  pole  secure 
Your  forfeit  heads  from  Gage's  power  ? 
Attack'd  by  heroes  brave  and  crafty, 
Is  this  to  stand  your  ark  of  safety  ; 
Or  driven  by  Scottish  laird  and  laddie, 
Think  ye  to  rest  beneath  its  shadow  ? 
When  bombs,  like  fiery  serpents,  fly. 
And  balls  rush  hissing  through  the  sky. 
Will  this  vile  pole,  devote  to  freedom. 
Save  like  the  Jewish  pole  in  Edom ; 


i:' 


M'FINGAL.  99 

Or  like  the  brazen  snake  of  Moses, 

Cure  your  crackt  skulls  and  batter'd  noses  ? 

"  Ye  dupes  to  every  factious  rogue 
And  tavern-prating  demagogue, 
Whose  tongue  but  rings,  with  sound  more  full, 
On  th'  empty  drumhead  of  his  scull ; 
Behold  you  not  what  noisy  fools 
Use  you,  worse  simpletons,  for  tools  ? 
For  Liberty,  in  your  own  by-sense, 
Is  but  for  crimes  a  patent  license, 
To  break  of  law  th'  Egyptian  yoke, 
And  throw  the  world  in  common  stock ; 
Reduce  all  grievances  and  ills 
To  Magna  Charta  of  your  wills ; 
Establish  cheats  and  frauds  and  nonsense, 
Framed  to  the  model  of  your  conscience ; 
Cry  justice  down,  as  out  of  fashion. 
And  fix  its  scale  of  depreciation  ;* 
Defy  all  creditors  to  trouble  ye. 
And  keep  new  years  of  Jewish  jubilee; 


*  Alluding  to  the  depreciation  of  the  Continental  paper 
money.  Congress  finally  ascertained  the  course  of  its 
declension  at  different  periods,  by  what  was  called,  A 
Scale  of  Depreciation. 


100 


M'FINGAL. 


Drive  judges  out,*  like  Aaron's  calves, 
By  jurisdiction  of  white  staves, 
And  make  the  bar  and  bench  and  steeple 
Submit  t'  our  sovereign  lord,  the  People ; 
By  plunder  rise  to  power  and  glory, 
And  brand  all  property,  as  Tory  ; 
Expose  all  wares  to  lawful  seizures 
By  mobbers  or  monopolizers ; 
Break  heads  and  windows  and  the  peace. 
For  your  own  interest  and  increase  ; 
Dispute  and  pray  and  fight  and  groan 
For  public  good,  and  mean  your  own ; 
Prevent  the  law  by  fierce  attacks 
From  quitting  scores  upon  your  backs ; 
Lay  your  old  dread,  the  gallows,  low. 
And  seize  the  stocks,  your  ancient  foe. 
And  turn  them  to  convenient  engines 
To  wreak  your  patriotic  vengeance  ; 
While  all,  your  rights  who  understand. 
Confess  them  in  their  owner's  hand  ; 


*  On  the  commencement  of  the  war,  the  courts  of 
justice  where  every  where  shut  up.  In  some  instances, 
the  judges  were  forced  to  retire,  by  the  people,  who  as- 
sembled in  multitudes,  armed  with  white  staves. 


M'FINO  AL. 

And  when  by  clamors  and  confusions, 
Your  freedom's  grown  a  public  nuisance, 
Cry  "  Liberty,"  with  powerful  yearning, 
As  he  does  "  Fire !"  whose  house  is  burning ; 
Though  he  already  has  much  more 
Than  he  can  find  occasion  for. 
While  every  clown  that  tills  the  plains. 
Though  bankrupt  in  estate  and  brains. 
By  this  new  light  transform 'd  to  traitor, 
Forsakes  his  plough  to  turn  dictator, 
Starts  an  haranguing  chief  of  Whigs, 
And  drags  you  by  the  ears,  like  pigs. 
All  bluster,  arm'd  with  factious  license. 
New-born  at  once  to  politicians. 
Each  leather-apron'd  dunce,  grown  wise. 
Presents  his  forward  face  t'  advise. 
And  tatter'd  legislators  meet. 
From  every  workshop  through  the  street. 
His  goose  the  tailor  finds  no  use  in, 
To  patch  and  turn  the  Constitution ; 
The  blacksmith  comes  with  sledge  and  gra  o 
To  iron-bind  the  wheels  of  state ; 
The  quack  forbears  his  patients'  souse, 
To  purge  the  Council  and  the  House  ; 
The  tinker  quits  his  moulds  and  doxies. 
To  cast  assembly-men  and  proxies. 

9* 


101 


102 


M'FINGAL. 


'■■I 


}    V  ,V! 


From  dunghills  deep  of  blackest  hue, 
Your  dirt-bred  patriots  spring  to  view, 
To  wealth  and  power  and  honors  rise, 
Like  new-wing'd  maggots  changed  to  flies. 
And  fluttering  round  in  high  parade, 
Strut  in  the  robe,  or  gay  cockade. 
See  Arnold  quits,  for  ways  more  certain, 
His  bankrupt-perj'ries  for  his  fortune. 
Brews  rum  no  longer  in  his  store, 
Jockpy  and  skipper  now  no  more. 
Forsakes  his  warehouses  and  docks. 
And  writs  of  slander  for  the  pox;* 
And  cleansed  by  patriotism  from  shame. 
Grows  general  of  the  foremost  name. 
For  in  this  ferment  of  the  stream 
The  dregs  have  work'd  up  to  the  brim. 
And  by  the  rule  of  topsy-turvies. 
The  scum  stands  foaming  on  the  surface. 


1  i> 


*  Arnold's  perjuries  at  the  time  of  his  pretended 
bankruptcy,  which  was  the  first  rise  of  his  fortune ;  and 
his  curious  lawsuit  against  a  brother  skipper,  who  had 
charged  him  with  having  caught  the  above-mentioned 
disease,  by  his  connection  with  a  certain  African  princess 
in  the  West  Indies,  were  among  the  early  promises  of  his 
future  greatness,  and  honors. 


M'FING  AL. 


103 


You've  caused  your  pyramid  t'  ascend, 

And  set  it  on  the  little  end. 

Like  Hudibras,  your  empire's  made, 

Whose  crupper  had  o*ertopp'd  his  head. 

You've  push'd  and  turn'd  the  whole  world  up. 

Side  down,  and  got  yourselves  at  top, 

While  all  the  great  ones  of  your  state 

Are  crush'd  beneath  the  popular  weight ; 

Nor  can  you  boast,  this  present  hour. 

The  shadow  of  the  form  of  power. 

For  what's  your  Congress*  or  its  end  ? 

A  power  t'  advise  and  recommend  ; 

To  call  forth  troops,  adjust  your  quotas — 

And  yet  no  soul  is  bound  to  notice ; 

To  pawn  your  faith  to  th'  utmost  limit ; 

But  cannot  bind  you  to  redeem  it ; 

And  when  in  want  no  more  in  them  lies. 

Than  begging  from  your  state-assemblies ; 


*  The  author  here,  in  a  true  strain  of  patriotic  censure, 
pointed  out  the  principal  defects  in  the  first  federal  con- 
stitution of  the  United  States :  all  which  have  been  since 
removed  in  the  new  Constitution,  established  in  the  year 
1789.  So  that  the  prophecy  below,  Yov!ll  ne^er  have  sense 
enough  to  mend  it,  must  be  ranked  among  the  other  sage 
blunders  of  his  second-sighted  hero. — Lond.  Edit. 


I    ' 


n 


<li\    i    .joi 


104 


M'FINGAL. 


Can  utter  oracles  of  dread, 
Like  friar  Bacon's  brazen  head, 
But  when  a  faction  dares  dispute  'em, 
Has  ne'er  an  arm  to  execute  'em : 
As  tho'  you  chose  supreme  dictators, 
And  put  them  under  conservators. 
You've  but  pursued  the  self-same  way 
With  Shakespeare's  Trinc'lo*  in  the  play  ; 
"  You  shall  be  viceroys  here,  'tis  true, 
*'  But  we'll  be  viceroy's  over  you." 
What  wild  confusion  hence  must  ensue  ? 
Tho'  common  danger  yet  cements  you  ; 
So  some  wreck'd  vessel  all  in  shatters, 
Is  held  up  by  surrounding  waters. 
But  stranded,  when  the  pressure  ceases, 
Falls  by  its  rottenness  to  pieces. 
And  fall  it  must  I  if  wars  were  ended, 
You'll  ne'er  have  sense  enough  to  mend  it : 
But  creeping  on,  by  low  intrigues, 
Like  vermin  of  a  thousand  legs,t 


*  This  political  plan  of  Trinculo  in  the  Tempest,  may 
be  found  in  the  old  folio  edition  of  Shakespeare.  It  has 
since  been  expunged  by  some  of  his  wise  commentators 


f  Millepedes. 


HW 


M'FINOAL. 


105 


'Twill  find  as  short  a  life  assign'd, 
As  all  things  else  of  reptile  kind, 
Your  commonwealth's  a  common  harlot, 
The  property  of  every  varlet ; 
Which  now  in  taste,  and  full  employ. 
All  sorts  admire,  as  all  enjoy : 
But  soon  a  batter'd  strumpet  grown. 
You'll  curse  aud  drum  her  out  of  town. 
Such  is  the  government  you  chose ; 
For  this  you  bade  the  world  be  foes ; 
For  this,  so  mark'd  for  dissolution, 
You  scorn  the  British  constitution, 
That  constitution  form'd  by  sages, 
The  wonder  of  all  modern  ages; 
MHiich  owns  no  failure  in  reality, 
Except  corruption  and  venality ; 
And  merely  proves  the  adage  just. 
That  best  things  spoil'd  corrupt  to  worst : 
So  man  supreme  in  earthly  station, 
And  mighty  lord  of  this  creation, 
When  once  his  corse  is  dead  as  herring, 
Becomes  the  most  offensive  carrion. 
And  sooner  breeds  the  plague,  'tis  found, 
Than  all  beasts  rotting  on  the  ground. 
Yet  with  republics  to  dismay  us, 
You've  call'd  up  Anarchy  from  chaos, 


'-it 


:  (!■  »:  I 


i,l 


106 


M'FINGAL. 


With  all  the  followers  of  her  school, 

Uproar  and  Rage  and  wild  Misrule  : 

For  whom  this  rout  of  Whigs  distracted, 

And  ravings  dire  of  every  crack'd  head; 

These  new-cast  legislative  engines 

Of  country-meetings  and  conventions : 

Committees  vile  of  correspondence, 

And  mobs,  whose  tricks  have  almost  undone  's: 

While  reason  fails  to  check  your  course. 

And  Loyalty's  kick'd  out  of  doors. 

And  Folly,  like  inviting  landlord. 

Hoists  on  your  poles  her  royal  standard ; 

While  the  king's  friends,  in  doleful  dumps. 

Have  worn  their  courage  to  the  stumps. 

And  leaving  George  in  sad  disaster, 

Most  sinfully  deny  their  master. 

What  furies  raged  when  you,  in  se'i, 

In  shape  of  Indians,  drovvn'd  the  tea;* 


*  The  cargo  of  tea  sent  to  Boston,  after  been  guarded 
for  twenty  nights,  by  voluntary  parties  of  the  Whigs,  to 
prevent  its  being  clandestinely  brought  ashore,  was 
thrown  into  the  sea,  by  a  party  of  about  two  hundred 
young  men,  dressed,  armed,  and  painted  like  Indians; 
but  many  a  ruffled  shirt  and  laced  vest  appeared  under 
their  blankets. 


M  '  F  I  N  G  A  L  . 


107 


When  your  gay  sparks,  fatigued  to  watch  it, 
Assumed  the  moggison  and  hatchet. 
With  wampum'd  blankets  hid  their  laces, 
And  like  their  svveathearts,  primed*  their  faces : 
While  not  a  red-coat  dared  oppose. 
And  scarce  a  Tory  shovv'd  his  nose ; 
While  Hutchinson,!  for  sure  retreat, 
Manoeuvred  to  his  country  seat,  • 


*  Primed,  i.  e.  painted. 

f  When  the  leading  Whigs  in  Boston  found  impossible 
to  procure  the  Tea  to  be  sent  back,  they  secretly  resolved 
on  its  destruction,  and  prepared  all  the  necessary  means. 
To  cover  the  design,  a  meeting  of  the  people  of  the  whole 
county  was  convened  on  the  day  appointed,  and  spent 
their  time  in  grave  consultation  on  the  question,  what 
should  be  done  to  prevent  its  being  landed  and  sold. 
The  arrival  of  the  Indians  put  an  end  to  the  debate,  at 
the  moment,  when  one  of  the  Whig  orators  was  declaiming 
against  all  violent  measures.  Hutchinson  was  alarmed  at 
the  meeting,  and  retired  privately  in  the  morning,  to  his 
country  seat  at  Milton.  Whether  from  jnistake  or  design 
information  was  sent  to  him,  that  the  mob  was  coming  to 
pull  down  his  house.  He  escaped  in  the  utmost  haste 
across  the  fields.  The  story  of  the  day  was,  that  the 
alarm  was  given,  at  the  time,  when  he  sate  half  shaved 
under  the  hands  of  his  barber. 


108 


M'FINGAL. 


ir 


•\- 


i\  L 


!<1  111 
11 

11 


And  thence  affrighted,  in  the  suds, 
Stole  off  bareheaded  through  the  woods. 

"  Have  you  not  roused  your  mobs  to  join, 
And  make  mandamus-men  resign, 
Call'd  forth  each  duffil-drest  curmudgeon 
And  dirty  trowsers  and  white  bludgeon, 
Forced  all  our  councils  through  the  land, 
To  yield  their  necks  at  your  command ; 
While  paleness  marks  their  late  disgraces. 
Through  all  their  rueful  length  of  faces  ? 

"  Have  you  not  caused  as  woeful  work 
In  our  good  city  of  New  York, 
When  all  the  rabble,  well  cockaded, 
In  triumph  through  tlie  streets  paraded. 
And  mob'd  tiie  Tories,  scared  their  spouses, 
And  ransack'd  all  the  custom-houses  :* 
Made  such  a  tumult,  bluster,  jarring. 
That  mid  the  clash  of  tempests  warring, 
Smith'sf  weather-cock,  in  veers  forlorn, 
Could  hardly  tell  which  way  to  turn  ? 

*  The  custom  house  was  broken  open  at  New  York, 
and  all  public  monies  seized. 

f  William  Smith,  an  eminent  lawyer  in  New  York. 
He  at  first  opposed  the  claims  of  Britain,  but  after  waver- 
ing some  time,  at  last  joined  our  enemy.  He  was  after- 
wards made  Chief  Justice  in  Canada. 


fill 


M'FING  AL. 


109 


Burn'd  effigies  of  higher  powers, 

Contrived  in  planetary  hours ; 

As  witches  with  clay-images 

Destroy  or  torture  whom  they  please : 

Till  fired  with  rage,  th'  ungrateful  club 

Spared  not  your  best  friend,  Beelzebub, 

O'erlook'd  his  favors,  and  forgot 

The  reverence  due  his  cloven  foot, 

And  in  the  selfsame  furnace  frying, 

Stew'd  him,  and  North,  and  Bute,  and  Tryon  ?* 

Did  you  not,  in  as  vile  and  shallow  way, 

Fright  our  poor  Philadelphian,  Galloway, 

Your  Congress,  when  the  loyal  ribald 

BeUed,  berated,  and  bescribbled  ? 


*  Tryon  was  Governor  of  New  York  and  a  British 
General  during  the  war.  He  had  the  glory  of  destroying 
the  towns  of  Fairfield  and  Norwalk.  Burnings  in  effigy 
were  frequently  the  amusements  of  the  mob  at  that  period, 
and  in  imitation  of  the  former  custom  of  the  English  in 
burning  annually  the  Pope,  the  Devil  and  the  Pretender, 
Beelzebub,  with  his  usual  figure  and  accoutrements,  was 
always  joined  in  the  conflagration  with  the  other  obnox- 
ious characters. 

10 


I-„'I 


f»       ill ., ii»iii:-'  1 

f|      '1 1 

H 

ii: 

If 

i. 

ill 

JLLl: 

110 


M'FING  AL. 


What  ropes*  and  lialters  did  you  send, 

Terrific  emblems  of  his  end, 

Till,  least  he'd  hang  in  more  than  effigy, 

Fled  in  a  fog  the  trembling  refugee  ? 

Now  rising  in  progression  fatal, 

Have  you  not  ventured  to  give  battle  ? 

When  Treason  chaced  our  heroes  troubled. 

With  rusty  gun,t  and  leathern  doublet ; 

Turn'd  all  stone-walls  and  groves  and  bushes. 

To  batteries  arm'd  with  blunderbusses; 

And  with  deep  wounds,  that  fate  portend, 

Gaul'd  many  a  Briton's  latter  end ; 

Drove  them  to  Boston,  as  in  jail. 

Confined  without  mainprize  or  bail. 


*  Galloway  began  by  being  a  flaming  patriot;  but 
being  disgusted  at  his  own  want  of  influence,  and  the 
greater  popularity  of  others,  he  turned  Tory,  wrote 
against  the  measures  of  the  Congress,  and  absconded. 
Just  before  his  escape,  a  trunk  was  put  on  board  a  vessel 
in  the  Delaware,  to  be  delivered  to  Joseph  Galloway, 
Esquire.  On  opening  it,  he  found  it  contained  only,  as 
Shakespeare  says, 

*'  A  halter  gratis,  and  leave  to  hang  himself" 

f  At  the  battle  of  Lexington. 


M'FINGAL. 

Were  not  these  deeds  enough  betimes. 
To  heap  the  measure  of  your  crimes : 
But  in  this  loyal  town  and  dwelling, 
You  raise  these  ensigns  of  rebellion? 
'Tis  done!  fair  Mercy  shuts  her  door; 
And  Vengeance  now  shall  sleep  no  more. 
Rise  then,  my  frtends,  in  terror  rise. 
And  sweep  this  scandal  from  the  skies. 
You'll  see  their  Dragon,  though  well  jointed. 
Will  shrink  before  the  Lord's  anointed  ;* 
And  like  old  Jericho's  proud  wall, 
Before  our  ram's  horns  prostrate  fall," 

This  said,  our  Squire,  yet  undismay'd, 
Call'd  forth  the  Constable  to  aid, 
And  bade  him  read,  in  nearer  station, 
The  Riot-act  and  Proclamation. 
He  swift,  advancing  to  the  ring, 
Began,  "Our  Sovereign  Lord,  the  King" — 
When  thousand  clam'rous  tongues  he  hears. 
And  clubs  and  stones  assail  his  ears. 
To  fly  was  vain ;  to  fight  was  idle  ; 
By  foes  encompass'd  in  the  middle, 


111 


.Ml 


*  The  Tory  clergy  always  styled  the  King,  the  Lord's 
Anointed.     The  language   of  Cromwell's   and  Charles' 
days  was  yet  frequent  in  New  England. 
H 


112 


M'FINGAL. 


'ii  "ii 


■'i        tS: 


J  :l. 


::>M:' 


li'i 


His  hope,  in  stratagems,  he  found, 
And  fell  right  craftily  to  ground ; 
Then  crept  to  seek  an  hiding  place, 
'Twas  all  he  could,  beneath  a  brace ; 
Where  soon  the  conq'ring  crew  espied  him. 
And  where  he  lurk'd,  they  caught  and  tied  him. 

At  once  with  resolution  fatal,      • 
Both  Whigs  and  Tories  rush'd  to  battle. 
Instead  of  weapons,  either  band 
Seized  on  such  arms  as  came  to  hand. 
And  as  famed  Ovid*  paints  th'  adventures 
Of  wrangling  Lapithee  and  Centaurs, 
Who  at  their  feast,  by  Bacchus  led. 
Threw  bottles  at  each  other's  head; 
And  these  arms  failing  in  their  scuffles, 
Attack'd  with  andirons,  tongs,  and  shovels : 
So  clubs  and  billets,  staves,  and  stones 
Met  fierce,  encountering  every  sconce. 
And  cover'd  o'er  with  knobs  and  pains 
Each  void  receptacle  for  brains  j 
Their  clamors  rend  the  skies  around. 
The  hills  rebellow  to  the  sound ; 
And  many  a  groan  increas'd  the  din 
From  batter'd  nose  and  broken  shin. 


I  \\ 


*  See  Ovid's  Metamorphoses,  Book  12th. 


(1. 


M'FING  AL. 


113 


M'FiNGAL,  rising  at  the  word, 

Drew  forth  his  old  mihtia-sword ; 

Thrice  cried  "  King  George,"  as  erst  in  distress 

Knights  of  romance  invoked  a  mistress; 

And  brandishing  the  blade  in  air, 

Struck  terror  through  th'  opposing  war. 

The  Whigs,  unsafe  within  the  wind 

Of  such  commotion,  shrunk  behind. 

With  whirling  steel  around  address'd. 

Fierce  through  their  thickest  throng  he  press'd, 

(Who  roll'd  on  either  side  in  arch. 

Like  Red  Sea  waves  in  Israel's  march) 

And  like  a  meteor  rushing  through, 

Struck  on  their  pole  a  vengeful  blow. 

Around,  the  Whigs,  of  clubs  and  stones 

Discharged  whole  vollies,  in  platoons, 

Tiiat  o'er  in  whistling  fury  fly  ; 

But  not  a  foe  dares  venture  nigh. 

And  now  perhaps  with  glory  crown'd 

Our  'Squire  had  fell'd  the  pole  to  ground, 

Had  not  some  pow'r,  a  whig  at  heart, 

Descended  down  and  took  their  part  ;* 

*  The  learned  reader  will  readily  observe  the  allusions 

in  this  scene,  to  the  single  combats  of  Paris  and  Menelaua 

in  Homer,  -^neas  and  the  Turnus  in  Virgil,  and  Michael 

and  Satan  in  Milton. 

10* 


114 


M'FING  AL. 


(Whether  'twere  Pallas,  Mars,  or  Iris, 
'Tis  scarce  worth  while  to  make  inquiries) 
Who  at  the  nick  of  time  alarming, 
Assumed  the  solemn  form  of  Chairman, 
Address'd  a  Whig,  in  every  scene 
The  stoutest  wrestler  on  the  green. 
And  pointed  where  the  spade  was  found. 
Late  used  to  set  their  pole  in  ground. 
And  urged,  with  equal  arms  and  might, 
To  dare  our  'Squire  to  single  fight. 
The  Whig  thus  arm'd,  untaught  to  yield, 
Advanced  tremendous  to  the  field  : 
Nor  did  M'Fingal  shun  the  foe. 
But  stood  to  brave  the  desp'rate  blow ; 
While  all  the  party  gazed,  suspended 
To  see  the  deadly  combat  ended ; 
And  Jove*  in  equal  balance  weigh'd 
The  sword  against  the  brand ish'd  spade. 
He  weigh'd ;  but  lighter  than  a  dream, 
The  sword  flew  up,  and  kick'd  the  beam. 
Our  'Squire  on  tiptoe  rising  fair 
Lifts  high  a  noble  stroke  in  air, 


*  Jupiter  ipse  duas  aequato  examine  lances 
Sustinet  &  fata  imponit  diversa  duorura, 
Quem  daranet  labor,  &c.  ^neid,  12. 


M'FINGAL. 

Which  hung  not,  but  like  dreadful  engines, 
Descended  on  his  foe  in  vengeance, 
But  ah !  in  danger,  with  dishonor 
The  sword  perfidious  fails  its  owner ; 
That  sword,  which  oft  had  stood  its  ground, 
By  huge  trainbands  encircled  round ; 
And  on  the  bench,  with  blade  right  royal, 
Had  won  the  day  at  many  a  trial,* 
Of  stones  and  clubs  had  braved  th'  alarms, 
Shrunk  from  these  new  Vulcanian  arms.t 
The  spade  so  temper'd  from  the  sledge. 
Nor  keen  nor  solid  harm'd  its  edge. 
Now  met  it,  from  his  arm  of  might, 
Descending  with  steep  force  to  smite ; 


115 


*  It  was  the  fashion  in  New  England  at  that  time,  for 
judges  to  wear  swords  on  the  bench. 

^f  Postquam  arma  Dei  ad  Vulcania  ventum  est, 


Mortalis  mucro,  glacies  ceu  futilis.  ictu 

Dissiluit ;  folva  resplendent  fragmina  arena.     Virgil. 

The  sword 


Was  given  him  temper'd  so,  that  neither  keen 
Nor  solid  might  resist  that  edge ;  it  met 
The  sword  of  Satan  with  steep  force  to  smite 
Descending  and  in  half  cut  sheer.  Milton. 


116 


M'FINGAL. 


\.   I ; 


li!:  i 


The  blade  snapp'd  short — and  from  his  hand, 

With  rust  embrown'd  the  glittering  sand. 

Swift  turn'd  M'Fingal  at  the  view, 

And  call'd  to  aid  th'  attendant  crew. 

In  vain  ;  the  Tories  all  had  run, 

When  scarce  the  fight  was  well  begun ; 

Their  setting  wigs  he  saw  decreas'd 

Far  in  th'  horizon  tow'rd  the  west. 

Amazed  he  view'd  the  shameful  sight, 

And  saw  no  refuge,  but  in  flight : 

But  age  unwieldy  check'd  his  pace. 

Though  fear  had  wing'd  his  flying  race  ; 

For  not  a  trifling  prize  at  stake ; 

No  less  than  great  M'Fingal's  back.* 

With  legs  and  arms  he  work'd  his  course. 

Like  rider  that  outgoes  his  horse, 

And  labor'd  hard  to  get  away,  as 

Old  Satanj  struggling  on  through  chaos ; 

'Till  looking  back,  he  spied  in  rear 

The  spade-arm'd  chief  advanced  too  near  : 

Then  stopp'd  and  seized  a  stone,  that  lay 

An  ancient  landmark  near  the  way ; 


-*  nee  enim  levia  aut  ludiera  petuntur 


Prsemia,  sed  Tumi  de  vita  et  sanguine  certant.     Virgil. 
t  In  Milton. 


M'FINQAL. 

Nor  shall  we  as  old  bards  have  done, 

Affirm  it  weigh'd  an  hundred  ton  ;* 

But  such  a  stone,  as  at  a  shift 

A  modern  might  suffice  to  lift, 

Since  men'  to  credit  their  enigmas, 

Are  dwindled  down  to  dwarfs  and  pigmies, 

And  giants  exiled  with  their  cronies 

To  Brobdignags  and  Patagonias, 

But  while  our  Hero  turn'd  him  round. 

And  tugg'd  to  raise  it  from  the  ground. 

The  fatal  spade  discharged  a  blow 

Tremendous  on  his  rear  below : 

His  bent  knee  fail'djf  and  void  of  strength 

Stretch'd  on  the  ground  his  manly  length. 

Like  ancient  oak  o'erturn'd,  he  lay, 

Or  tower  to  tempests  fall'n  a  prey. 

Or  mountain  sunk  with  all  his  pines, 

Or  flow'r  the  plow  to  dust  consigns. 

And  more  things  else — but  all  men  know  'em. 

If  slightly  versed  in  epic  poem. 


m 


*  This  thought  is  taken  from  Juvenal,  Satire  15. 


f  Genua  labant- 


incidit  ictus, 

Ingens  ad  terram  duplicato  poplite  Turnus.         Virgil. 


11! 


118 


M'FI  NO  AL. 


At  once  the  crew,  at  this  dread  crisis, 

Fall  on,  and  bind  him,  ere  he  rises ; 

And  with  loud  shouts  and  joyful  soul. 

Conduct  him  prisoner  to  the  pole. 

When  now  the  mob  in  lucky  hour 

Had  got  their  en'mies  in  their  power. 

They  first  proceed  by  grave  command, 

To  take  the  Constable  in  hand. 

Then  from  the  pole's  sublimest  top 

The  active  crew  let  down  the  rope. 

At  once  its  other  end  in  haste  bind, 

And  make  it  fast  upon  his  waistband  ; 

Till  like  the  earth,  as  stretch'd  on  tenter, 

He  hung  self-balanced  on  his  center.* 

Then  upwards,  all  hands  hoisting  sail, 

They  swung  him  like  a  keg  of  ale. 

Till  to  the  pinnacle  in  height 

He  vaulted  like  balloon  or  kite. 

As  Socratesf  of  old  at  first  did 

To  aid  philosophy  get  hoisted. 

And  found  his  thoughts  flow  strangely  clear. 

Swung  in  a  basket  in  mid  air : 

*  And  earth  self-balanced  on  her  center  hung.   Milton. 

f  In  Aristophanes'  Comedy  of  the  Clouds,  Socrates  is 
represented  as  hoisted  in  a  basket  to  aid  contemplation. 


:'        M;     :M 


M'FINQ  AL. 


119 


Our  culprit  thus,  in  purer  sky, 
With  like  advanta<(o  raised  Iiis  eye, 
And  looking  forth  in  prospect  wide, 
His  Tory  errors  clearly  spied, 
And  from  his  elevated  station. 
With  bawling  voice  began  addressing. 

"  Good  gentlemen  and  friends  and  kin, 
For  heaven's  sake  hear,  if  not  for  mine ! 
I  here  renounce  the  Pope,  the  Turks, 
The  King,  the  Devil  and  all  their  works ; 
And  will,  set  me  but  once  at  ease, 
Turn  Whig  or  Christain,  what  you  please  ; 
And  always  mind  your  rules  so  justly. 
Should  I  live  long  as  old  Methus'lah, 
I'll  never  join  in  British  rage, 
Nor  help  Lord  North  nor  Gen'ral  Gage ; 
Nor  lift  my  gun  in  future  fights, 
Nor  take  away  your  Charter-rights ; 
Nor  overcome  your  new-raised  levies, 
Destroy  your  towns,  nor  burn  your  navies; 
Nor  cut  your  poles  down  while  I've  breath. 
Though  raised  more  thick  than  hatchel-teeth  : 
But  leave  King  George  and  all  his  elves 
To  do  their  conq'ring  work  themselves." 

This  said,  they  lower'd  him  down  in  state. 
Spread  at  all  points,  like  falling  cat ; 


120 


M'FINGAL. 


'I' 


i?  :.i:  -II 


fhm 


But  took  a  vote  first  on  the  question, 
That  they'd  accept  this  full  confession, 
And  to  their  fellowship  and  favor, 
Restore  him  on  his  good  behaviour. 

Not  so  our  'Squire  submits  to  rule. 
But  stood,  heroic  as  a  mule. 
"  You'll  find  it  all  in  vain,"  quoth  he, 
To  play  your  rebel  tricks  on  me. 
All  punishments  the  world  can  render, 
Save  only  to  provoke  th'  offender; 
The  will  gains  strength  from  treatment  horrid. 
As  hides  grow  harder  when  they're  curried. 
No  man  e'er  felt  the  halter  draw, 
With  good  opinion  of  the  law ; 
Or  held  in  method  orthodox 
His  love  of  justice  in  the  stocks: 
Or  fail'd  to  lose  by  sheriff's  shears 
At  once  his  loyalty  and  ears. 
Have  you  made  Murray*  look  less  big, 
Or  smok'd  old  Williams*  to  a  Whis  ? 


*  Members  of  the  Mandamus  Council  in  Massachusetts. 
The  operation  of  smoking  Tories  was  thus  performed. 
The  victim  was  confined  in  a  close  room  before  a  large 
fire  of  green  wood,  and  a  cover  applied  to  the  top  of  the 
chimney. 


M'FINGAL. 

Did  our  niobb'd  Ol'ver*  quit  his  station, 

Or  heed  his  vows  of  resignation  ? 

Has  Rivingtonf  in  dread  of  stripes, 

Ceased  lying  since  you  stole  his  types  ? 

And  can  you  think  my  faith  will  alter. 

By  tarring,  whipping  or  the  halter  ? 

I'll  stand  the  worst ;  for  recompense 

I  trust  King  George  and  Providence. 

And  when  with  conquest  gain'd  I  come, 

Array'd  in  law  and  terror  home, 

Ye'll  rue  this  inauspicious  morn, 

And  curse  the  day,  when  ye  were  born. 

In  Job's  high  style  of  imprecations. 

With  all  his  plagues,  without  his  patience." 


121 


*  Thomas  Oliver,  Esq.  Lieut.-Governor  of  Massa- 
chusetts. He  was  surrounded  at  his  seat  in  the  country 
and  intimidated  by  the  mob  into  the  signing  of  his  resig- 
nation. 


t  Eivington  was  a  Tory  Printer  in  New  York.  Just 
before  the  commencement  of  the  war,  a  party  from  New 
Haven  attacked  his  press,  and  carried  off,  or  destroyed 
the  types. 

u 


122 


M'FINGAL. 


'  i     ! 


'  i'\    .1 


Meanwhile  beside  the  pole,  the  guard 
A  bench  of  justice*  had  prepared, 
Where  sitting  round  in  awful  sort 
The  grand  committee  hold  their  court ; 
While  all  the  crew,  in  silent  awe. 
Wait  from  their  lips  the  lore  of  law. 
Few  moments  with  deliberation 
They  hold  the  solemn  consultation; 
When  soon  in  judgment  all  agree, 
And  clerk  proclaims  the  dread  decree ; 
"  That  'Squire  M'Fingal  having  grown 
The  vilest  Tory  in  the  town. 
And  now  in  full  examination 
Convicted  bv  his  own  confession. 
Finding  no  tokens  of  repentance. 
This  court  proceeds  to  render  sentence  : 
That  first  the  Mob  slip-knot  single 
Tie  round  the  neck  of  said  M'Fingal, 
And  in  due  form  do  tar  him  next, 
And  feather,  as  the  law  directs ; 


ii  ! 

I  1 


*  An  imitation  of  legal  forms  was  universally  prac- 
tised by  the  mobs  in  New  England,  in  the  trial  and  con- 
demnation of  Tories.  This  marks  a  curious  trait  of 
national  character. 


i< 


fl 


M'FINGAL. 

Then  through  the  town  attendant  ride  him 
In  cart  with  Constable  beside  him, 
And  having  held  him  up  to  shame, 
Bring  to  the  pole,  from  whence  he  came." 

Forthwith  the  crowd  proceed  to  deck 
With  halter'd  noose  MTingal's  neck, 
While  he  in  peril  of  his  soul 
Stood  tied  half-hanging  to  the  pole  ; 
Then  lifting  high  the  ponderous  jar, 
Pour'd  o'er  his  head  the  smoking  tar. 
With  less  profusion  once  was  spread 
Oil  on  the  Jewish  monarch's  head. 
That  down  his  beard  and  vestments  ran, 
And  cover'd  all  his  outward  man. 
As  when  (so  Claudian*  sings)  the  Gods 
And  earth-born  giants  fell  at  odds. 
The  stout  Enceladus  in  malice 
Tore  mountains  up  to  throw  at  Pallas ; 
And  while  he  held  them  o'er  his  head, 
The  river,  from  their  mountains  fed, 
Pour'd  down  his  back  its  copious  tide, 
And  wore  its  channels  in  his  hide : 
So  from  the  high-raised  urn  the  torrents 
Spread  down  his  side  their  various  currents; 


123 


*  Claudian's  Gigantomachia. 


^"3 


124 


M'FINGAL. 


His  flowing  wig,  as  next  the  brim, 
First  met  and  drank  the  sable  stream; 
Adown  his  visage  stern  and  grave 
Roli'd  and  adhered  the  viscid  wave ; 
With  arms  depending  as  he  stood, 
Each  cuff  capacious  holds  the  flood ; 
From  nose  and  chin's  remotest  end, 
The  tarry  icicles  descend ; 
Till  all  o'erspread,  with  colors  gay, 
He  glitter'd  to  the  western  ray, 
Like  sleet-bound  trees  in  wintry  skies, 
Or  Lapland  idol  carved  in  ice. 
And  now  the  feather-bag  display'd 
Is  waved  in  triumph  o'er  his  head. 
And  clouds  him  o'er  with  feathers  missive, 
And  down,  upon  the  tar,  adhesive : 
Not  Maia's*  son,  with  wings  for  ears, 
Such  plumage  round  his  visage  wears ; 
Nor  Milton's  six-wing'df  angel  gathers 
Such  superfluity  of  feathers. 


*  Mercury,  described  by  the  Poets  with  wings  on  his 
head  and  feet. 


f  And  angel  wing'd— six  wings  he  wore — 


Milton. 


M'FINGAL. 

Now  all  complete  appears  our  'Squire, 
Like  Gorgon  or  Chimcera  dire; 
Nor  more  could  boast  on  Plato's*  plan 
To  rank  among  the  race  of  man. 
Or  prove  his  claim  to  human  nature. 
As  a  two-legg'd,  unfeather'd  creature. 

Then  on  the  fatal  cart,  in  state 
They  raised  our  grand  Duumvirate. 
And  as  at  Romef  a  like  committee. 
Who  found  an  owl  within  their  city. 
With  solemn  rites  and  grave  processions 
At  every  shrine  perform'd  lustrations ; 
And  least  infection  might  take  place 
From  such  grim  fowl  with  feather'd  face, 
All  Rome  attends  him  through  the  street 
In  triumph  to  his  country  seat : 
With  like  devotion  all  the  choir 
Paraded  round  our  awful  'Squire  ; 
In  front  the  martial  music  comes 
Of  horns  and  fiddles,  fifes  and  drums, 
With  jingling  sound  of  carriage  bells. 
And  treble  creak  of  rusted  wheels. 


125 


i 


*  Alluding  to  Plato's  famous  definition  of  Man,  Animal 
lipes  implume — a  two-legged  animal  without  feathers. 

f  Livy's  History. 
11* 


126 


M'FING  AL. 


>    ti!! 


.  I 


Behind,  the  crowd,  in  lengthen'd  row 
With  proud  procession,  closed  the  show. 
And  at  fit  periods  every  throat 
Combined  in  universal  shout ; 
And  hail'd  great  Liberty  in  chorus. 
Or  bawl'd  '  confusion  to  the  Tories.' 
Not  louder  storm  the  welkin  braves 
From  clamors  of  conflicting  waves ; 
Less  dire  in  Lybian  wilds  the  noise 
When  rav'ning  lions  lift  their  voice  ; 
Or  triumphs  at  town  meetings  made, 
On  passing  votes  to  regulate  trade.* 

Thus  having  borne  them  round  the  town, 
Last  at  the  pole  they  set  them  down ; 
And  to  the  tavern  take  their  way 
To  end  in  mirth  the  festal  day. 

And  now  the  mob,  dispersed  and  gone. 
Left  'Squire  and  Constable  alone. 
The  constable  with  rueful  face 
Lean'd  sad  and  solemn  o'er  a  brace ; 
And  fast  beside  him,  cheek  by  jowl. 
Stuck  'Squire  M'Fingal  'gainst  the  pole, 


*  Sucli  votes  were  frequently  passed  at  town-meetings, 
witli  the  view  to  prevent  the  augmentation  of  prices,  and 
stop  the  depreciation  of  the  paper  money. 


ings, 
and 


M'FING  AL. 

Glued  by  the  tar  t'  his  rear  applied, 

Like  barnacle  on  vessel's  side. 

But  though  his  body  lack'd  physician, 

His  spirit  was  in  worse  condition. 

He  found  his  fears  of  whips  and  ropes 

By  many  a  drachm  outweigh'd  his  hopes. 

As  men  in  jail  without  mainprize 

View  every  thing  with  other  eyes, 

And  all  goes  wrong  in  church  and  state, 

Seen  through  perspective  of  the  grate  : 

So  now  M'Fingal's  Second-sight 

Beheld  all  things  in  gloomier  light ; 

His  visual  nerve,  well  purged  with  tar. 

Saw  all  the  coming  scenes  of  war. 

As  his  prophetic  soul  grew  stronger. 

He  found  he  could  hold  in  no  longer. 

First  from  the  pole  as  fierce  he  shook. 

His  wig  from  pitchy  durance  broke. 

His  mouth  unglued,  his  feathers  flutter'd 

His  tarr'd  skirts  crack'd,  and  thus  he  utter'd. 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Constable,  in  vain 
We  strive  'gainst  wind  and  tide  and  rain ! 
Behold  my  doom  !  this  feathery  omen 
Portends  what  dismal  times  are  coming. 
Now  future  scenes,  before  my  eyes, 
And  second-sighted  forms  arise, 
I 


127 


U:< 


(!' 


1    ■ '     t    I 

=    i.   '      ■]    t 

h  1 


Fii 


\:\  ■  i 


1      "I 
-  'J 

1,1' 
1  Jl 


j£. 


128 


M'FINQAL. 


I  hear  a  voice,*  that  calls  away, 
And  cries  *  The  Whigs  will  win  the  day.' 
My  beck'ning  genius  gives  command, 
And  bids  me  fly  the  fatal  land ; 
Where  changing  name  and  constitution, 
Rebellion  turns  to  Revolution, 
While  loyalty,  oppress'd  in  tears. 
Stands  trembling  for  its  neck  and  ears. 

"  Go,  summon  all  our  brethren,  greeting, 
To  muster  at  our  usual  meeting; 
There  my  prophetic  voice  shall  warn  'em 
Of  all  things  future  that  concern  'em, 
And  scenes  disclose  on  which,  my  friend. 
Their  conduct  and  their  lives  depend. 
There  If — but  first  'tis  more  of  use. 
From  this  vile  pole  to  set  me  loose ; 
Then  go  with  cautious  steps  and  steady. 
While  I  steer  home  and  make  all  ready. 

*  I  hear  a  voice,  you  cannot  hear, 
That  says,  I  must  not  stay —  TiclceWs  Ballad. 

•j-  Quos  Ego — sed  motos  prcestat  componere  fluctus. 

Virgil, 

END   or   CANTO   THIRD. 


M'F  ING  AL. 


CAHTO  I?. 


THE  VISION. 


rOW  Night  came  down,  and  rose  full  soon 
That  patroness  of  rogues,  the  Moon; 
Beneath  whose  kind  protecting  ray. 
Wolves,  brute  and  human,  prowl  for 
The  honest  world  all  snored  in  chorus,         [prcy. 
While  owls  and  ghosts  and  thieves  and  Tories, 
Whom  erst  the  mid-day  sun  had  awed, 
Crept  from  their  lurking  holes  abroad. 
On  cautious  hinges,  slow  and  stiller, 
Wide  oped  the  great  M'Fingal's  cellar,* 

*  Secret  meetings  of  the  Tories,  in  cellars  and  other 
lurking  places,  were  frequent  during  the  revolutionary 
war. 


180 


M'FINOAL. 


I  ^ 


'      hi 


\     i  I 


Where  safe  from  prying  eyes,  in  cluster, 
The  Tory  Pandemonium  muster. 
Their  chiefs  all  sitting  round  descried  are, 
On  kegs  of  ale  and  seats  of  cider;* 
When  first  M'Fingal,  dimly  seen. 
Rose  solemn  from  the  turnip-bin.f 
Nor  yet  his  form  had  nholly  lost 
Ah'  original  bright  it  could  boast,J 
Nor  less  appear'd  than  Justice  Quorum, 
In  feather'd  majesty  before  'em. 
Adown  his  tar-streak'd  visage,  clear 
Fell  glistening  fast  th'  indignant  tear, 
And  thus  his  voice,  in  mournful  wise. 
Pursued  the  prologue  of  his  sighs. 


*  Panditur  ititerea  dornus-omnip^tis  Olympi, 
Conciliumque  vocat  Divum  pater  atq ;  hominum  Rex 
Sideream  in  sedem.  Virgil. 

f  In  most  of  the  country  cellars  in  New  England,  a  lin 
is  raised  at  one  corner,  about  four  feet  high,  to  hold  tur- 
nips and  other  vegetables.  M'Fingal  uses  it  here  as  a  desk 
for  a  speaker. 

X  His  form  had  not  yet  lost 

All  its  original  brightness,  nor  appear'd 
Less  than  archangel  ruin'd.    Milton. 


M'  FINO  AL. 

"  Brethren  and  friends,  the  glorious  band 
Of  loyalty  in  rebel  land ! 
It  was  not  thus  you've  seen  me  sitting, 
Return'd  in  triumph  from  town-meeting : 
When  blust'ring  Whigs  where  put  to  stand. 
And  votes  obey'd  my  guiding  hand, 
And  new  commissions  pleased  my  eyes ; 
Blest  days,  but  ah,  no  more  to  rise ! 
Alas,  against  my  better  light. 
And  optics  sure  of  second-sight,* 
My  stubborn  soul,  in  error  strong, 
Had  faith  in  Hutchinson  too  long, 
See  what  brave  trophies  still  we  bring 
From  all  our  battles  for  the  king ; 
And  yet  these  plagues,  iiow  past  before  us, 
Are  but  our  entering  wedge  of  sorrows ! 

"  I  see,  in  glooms  tempestuous,  stand 
The  cloud  impending  o'er  the  land  ; 
That  cloud,  which  still  beyond  the  hopes 
Serves  all  our  orators  with  tropes ; 


181 


*  The  second-sight  of  the  Highlanders  furnishes  poetry 
with  a  new  kind  of  machinery.  Walter  Scott  has  since 
made  use  of  it  with  great  advantage,  in  several  of  his 
poems. 


Si 


!      fill'  5j! 


182 


M'FING  AL. 


Wliicli,  though  from  our  own  vupors  fed, 

Shall  point  its  thunders  on  our  head ! 

I  see  the  Mob,  beflipp'd  at  taverns, 

ILunt  us,  like  wolves,  through  wilds  and  caverns ! 

What  dungeons  open  on  our  fears ' 

What  horsewhips  whistle  round  our  cars ! 

Tar,  yet  in  embryo  in  the  pine. 

Shall  run  on  Tories'  back  to  shine ; 

Trees,  rooted  fair  in  groves  of  sallows. 

Are  growing  for  our  future  gallows; 

And  geese  unhatch'd,  when  pluck'd  in  fray, 

Shall  rue  the  feathering  of  that  day.* 

"  For  me,  before  that  fatal  time, 
I  mean  to  fly  th'  aecursed  clime, 
And  follow  omens,  which  of  late 
Have  warn'd  me  of  impending  fate. 

"  For  late  in  visions  of  my  sight  j 
The  gallows  stood  before  my  sight ; 
I  saw  its  ladder  heaved  on  end ; 
I  saw  the  deadly  rope  descend. 
And  in  its  noose,  that  wavering  swang, 
Friend  Malcolmf  hung,  or  seem'd  to  hang, 

*  The  child  shall  rue,  that  is  unborn, 
The  hunting  of  that  day.         Chevy  Chase. 

f  Malcolm  was  a  Scotchman,  Aid  to  Governor  Tryon 


M'FINU  A  L. 


133 


IIovv  clmiii^^ed*  from  Ijiin,  who  bold  ns  lion, 
Stood  A  il-de-ciimp  to  Cien'rnl  Tryoii, 
Made  rebels  vanish  once,  like  witches' 
And  saved  his  life,  but  dropp'dj  his  breeches. 


in  his  expedition  against  the  Regulators,  as  they  culled 
themselves,  in  North  Carolina.  He  was  afterwards  an 
under-ollicer  of  the  Customs  in  Boston,  where  becoming 
obnoxious,  he  was  tarred,  feathered  and  half-hanged  by 
the  mob,  about  the  year  1774. 

quantum  mutatus  ab  illo 


Ilectore,  qui  rediit  spoliis  indutus.         Virg. 

f  This  adventure  was  thus  reported  among  the  anec- 
dotes of  the  day.  When  Governor  Tryon  marched  with 
his  militia,  to  suppress  the  insurgents  in  the  western  coun- 
ties of  North  Carolina,  and  found  them,  drawn  up  in 
array  to  oppose  him,  Malcolm  was  sent  with  a  flag  to  pro- 
pose terms,  and  demand  the  surrender  of  their  arras. 
Before  the  conclusion  of  the  parley,  Tr;  on's  militia  began 
to  fire  on  the  Regulators.  The  fire  was  immediately  re- 
turned. Malcolm  started  to  escape  to  his  party  ;  and  by 
the  violence  of  his  pedestrian  exertion  (as  Shakespeare 
says) 

'i  nis  points  being  broken,  down  fell  his  hose ;" 
and  he  displayed  the  novel  spectacle  of  a  man  running 
the  guantlot  sans  culottes,  betwixt  two  armies  engaged  in 
action,  and  presenting  an  ucusual  mark  to  his  enemy. 

12 


WiiF 


134 


M'FINGAL. 


I  scarce  had  made  a  fearful  bow, 

And  trembling  ask'd  him,  "  How  d'ye  do ;" 

When  lifting  up  his  eyes  so  wide, 

His  eyes  alone,  his  hands  were  tied ; 

With  feeble  voice,  as  spirits  use. 

Now  almost  choak'd  by  gripe  of  noose  ; 

"  Ah,  fly  my  friend,  he  cried,  escape. 
And  keep  yourself  from  this  sad  scrape; 
Enough  you've  talk'd  jnd  writ  and  plann'd ; 
The  Whigs  have  got  the  upper  hand. 
Could  mortal*  arm  our  fears  have  ended, 
This  arm  (and'shook  it)  had  defended. 
Wait  not  till  things  grow  desperater 
For  hanging  is  no  laughing  matter. 
Adventure  then  no  longer  stay ; 
But  call  your  fric  ids  and  haste  away. 

"  For  lo,  through  deepest  glooms  of  night. 
I  come  to  aid  thy  second-sight. 
Disclose  the  plagues  that  round  us  wait, 
And  scan  the  dark  decrees  of  fate. 

"  Ascend  this  ladder,  whence  unfurl'd 
The  curtain  opes  of  t'other  world  ; 


* Si  Pergama  dextra 

Defend!  possent,  etiam  hec  defensa  fuissent. 


Virg. 


M'FINQAL.  135 

For  here  new  worlds  their  scenes  unfold, 
Seen  from  this  backdoor*  of  the  old. 
As  when  iEneas  risk'd  his  life, 
Like  Orpheus  vent'ring  for  his  wife, 
And  bore  in  show  his  mortal  carcase 
Through  realms  of  Erebus  and  Orcus, 
Then  in  the  happy  fields  Elysian, 
Saw  all  his  embryon  sons  in  vision  ; 
As  shown  by  great  Archangel  Michael, 
Old  Adamf  saw  the  world's  whole  sequel, 
And  from  the  mount's  extended  space, 
The  rising  fortunes  of  his  race ; 
So  from  this  stage  shalt  thou  behold 
The  war  its  coming  scenes  unfold 
Raised  by  my  arm  to  meet  thine  eye : 
My  Adam,  thou ;  thine  Angel,  I. 

But  first  my  pow'r,  for  visions  bright. 
Must  cleanse  from  clouds  thy  mental  sight. 
Remove  the  dim  suffusions  spread, 
Which  bribes  and  salaries  there  have  bred  ; 
And  from  the  well  of  Bute  infuse 
Three  genuine  drops  of  Highland  dews, 

*  Leaving  the  old,  both  worlds  at  once  they  view, 
Who  stand  upon  the  threshold  of  the  new.  Waller. 

f  Milton — Paradise  Lost,  Book  II. 


136 


M'FING  AL. 


n  .p 


To  purge,  like  euphrasy*  and  rue, 
Thine  eyes,  for  much  thou  hast  to  view. 
Now  freed  from  Tory  darkness,  raise 
Thy  head  and  spy  the  coming  days. 
For  lo,  before  our  second-sight, 
The  Continent  ascends  in  light. 
From  north  to  south,  what  gath'ring  swurms 
Increase  the  pride  of  rebel  arms  ! 
Through  every  State  our  legions  brave 
Speed  gallant  marches  to  the  grave, 
Of  battling  Whigs  the  frequent  prize. 
While  rebel  trophies  stain  the  skies. 
Behold  o'er  northern  realms  afar 
Extend  the  kindling  flames  of  war ! 
See  famed  St.  John's  and  Montrealf 
Doom'd  by  Montgomery's  arm  to  fall ! 
Where  Hudson  with  majestic  sway 
Through  hills  disparted  plows  his  way. 


*  Milton. 

t  As  the  allusions  in  this  speech  refer  to  the  principal 
events  of  tlie  American  war,  they  will  be  familiar  to  those 
acquainted  with  its  history.  They  are  too  numerous  to 
be  explained  in  notes. 


.' 


]■■  ^;i'r::l!i 


M'FING  AL. 

Fate  spreads  on  Beiiius'  heights  alarms, 
And  pours  destruction  on  our  arms ; 
There  Bennington's  ensanguined  plain, 
And  Stony  Point,  the  prize  of  Wayne. 
Behold  near  Del'vvare's  icy  roar. 
Where  morning  dawns  on  Trenton's  shore. 
While  Hessians  spread  their  Christmas  feasts 
Rush  rude  these  uninvited  guests ; 
Nor  aught  avails  the  captured  crew 
Their  marshal  whiskers'  grisly  hue  ! 
On  Princeton  plains  our  heroes  yield, 
And  spread  in  flight  the  vanquish'd  field  ; 
While  fear  to  Mawhood's*  heels  put  on 
Wings,  wide  as  worn  by  Maia's  son. 
Behold  the  Pennsylvanian  shore 
Enrich'd  with  streams  of  British  gore  ; 
Where  many  a  veteran  chief  in  bed 
Of  honor  rests  his  slumb'ring  head,t 


137 


*  Col,  Mawhood  gained  great  reputation  among  the 
British,  by  escaping  with  about  two  hundred  men  from 
the  battle  of  Princeton. 

1  Have  ye  chos'n  this  place, 


After  the  toils  of  battle,  to  repose 

Your  wearied  virtue ;  for  the  ease  ye  find 

To  slumber  here,  as  in  the  vales  of  heaven? 

12* 


Milton. 


138 


M'FINGAL. 


u!     t 


And  in  soft  vales,  in  land  of  foes, 
Their  wearied  virtue  finds  repose  ! 
See  plund'ring  Dunmore's*  negro  band 
Fly  headlong  from  Virginia's  strand ; 
And  far  on  southern  hills  our  cousins, 
The  Scotch  M'Donalds,  fall  by  dozens ; 
Or  where  King's  Mountain  lifts  its  head. 
Our  ruin'd  bands  in  triumph  led ! 
Behold,  o'er  Tarlton's  blustring  train 
Defeat  extends  the  captive  chain  ! 
Afar  near  Eutaw's  fatal  springs, 
Lo,  rebel  Vict'ry  spreads  her  wings ! 
Through  all  the  land,  in  varied  chace, 
We  hunt  the  rainbow  of  success, 
In  vain !  their  chief,  superior  still, 
Eludes  our  force  with  Fabian  skill; 
Or  swift  descending  by  surprize, 
Like  Prussia's  eagle,  sweeps  the  prize, 

"  I  look'd ;  nor  yet,  oppress'd  with  fears, 
Gave  L  redit  to  my  eyes  or  ears ; 


*  Lord  Dunmore  was  Governor  of  Virginia  at  the 
commencement  of  the  war.  He  flod  with  all  the  slaves 
and  plunder  he  could  collect. 


M'FINGAL. 


139 


But  held  the  sights  an  empty  dream, 
On  Berkley's*  immaterial  scheme ; 
And  pond'ring  sad  with  troubled  breast, 
At  length  my  rising  doubts  express'd. 
*  Ah,  whither  thus,  by  rebels  smitten. 
Is  fled  th'  omnipotence  of  Britain ; 
Or  fail'd  its  usual  guard  to  keep, 
Absent  from  home  or  fast  asleep  ? 
Did  not,  retired  to  bovvers  Elysian, 
Great  Mars  leave  with  her  his  commission. 
And  Neptune  erst,  in  treaty  free. 
Give  up  dominion  o'er  the  sea  ? 
Else  where's  the  faith  of  famed  orations.-f 
Address,  debate  and  proclamations, 
Or  courtly  sermon,  laureat  ode, 
And  ballads  on  the  vvat'ry  God  ;J 

*  Berkley,  an  English  philosopher,  who  refining  on 
Locke's  ideal  system,  denied  the  existence  of  matter. 

f  In  this  style  the  British  orators  and  poeta  talk  and 
write  of  themselves. 

X  Alluding  to  an  English  ballad,  much  sung  and 
famous  at  that  time,  in  which  Neptune  (called  the  WatrT/ 
God)  with  great  deference  surrenders  his  trident  to  King 
George,  and  acknowledges  him,  as  monarch  and  ruler  of 
the  ocean. 


140 


M'FINGAL. 


With  whose  high  strains  great  George  enriches 

His  eloquence  of  gracious  speeches  ? 

Not  faithful  to  our  Highland  eyes, 

These  deadly  forms  of  visions  rise. 

Some  whig-inspiring  rebel  sprite 

Now  palms  delusion  on  our  sight. 

I'd  scarcely  trust  a  tale  so  vain, 

Should  revelation  prompt  the  strain 

Or  Ossian's  ghost  the  scenes  rehearse 

In  all  the  melody  of  Erse."* 

"  Too  long,"  quoth  Malcolm,  "  from  confusion, 
You've  dwelt  already  in  delusion ; 
'  As  sceptics,  of  all  fools  the  chief. 
Hold  faith  in  creeds  of  unbelief 
I  come  to  draw  thy  veil  aside 
Of  error,  prejudice,  and  pride. 
Fools  love  deception,  but  the  wise 
Prefer  sad  truths  to  pleasing  lies. 
For  know,  those  hopes  can  ne'er  succeed. 
That  trust  on  Britain's  breaking  reed. 
For  weak'ning  long  from  bad  to  worse, 
By  cureless  atrophy  of  purse. 
She  feels  at  length  with  trembling  heart. 
Her  foes  have  found  her  mortal  part. 

• 

*  Erse,  the  ancient  Scottish  language,  in  which  Ossian 
composed  his  poems. 


M'FINGAL.  141 

As  famed  Achilles,  dipp'd  by  Thetis 

In  Styx,  as  sung  in  ancient  ditties, 

Grew  all  case-harden'd  o'er,  like  steel, 

Invulnerable,  save  his  heel ; 

And  laugh'd  at  swords  and  spears  and  squibs, 

And  all  diseases,  but  the  kibes ; 

Yet  met  at  last  his  deadly  wound, 

By  Paris'  arrow  nail'd  to  ground : 

So  Britain's  boasted  strength  deserts 

In  these  her  empire's  utmost  skirts, 

Removed  beyond  her  fierce  impressions. 

And  atmosphere  of  omnipresence; 

Nor  to  this  shore's  remoter  ends 

Her  dwarf-omnipotence  extends. 

Hence  in  this  turn  of  things  so  strange, 

Tis  time  our  principles  to  change : 

For  vain  that  boasted  faith,  that  gathers 

No  perquisite,  but  tar  and  feathers ; 

No  pay,  but  stripes  from  whiggish  malice. 

And  no  promotion,  but  the  gallows. 

I've  long  enough  stood  firm  and  steady, 

Half-hang'd  for  loyalty  already. 

And  could  I  save  my  neck  and  pelf, 

I'd  turn  a  flaming  whig  mvself. 

But  since,  obnoxious  here  to  fate. 

This  saving  wisdom  comes  too  late. 


5: 


M  i 

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P 

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if' 

IIM 


1- 


! 


142 


M'FING  AL. 


Our  noblest  hopes  already  crost, 
Our  sal'ries  gone,  our  titles  lost, 
Doom'd  to  worse  suff 'rings  from  the  mob, 
Than  Satan's  surg'ries  used  on  Job ; 
What  hope  remains,  but  now  with  sleif^'ht 
What's  left  of  us  to  save  by  flight  ? 

"  Now  raise  thine  eyes,  for  visions  true 
Again  ascending  wait  thy  view/' 

"  I  look'd ;  and  clad  in  early  light. 
The  spires  of  Boston  met  my  sight ; 
The  morn  o'er  eastern  hills  afar 
Illumed  the  varied  scenes  of  war ; 
Great  Howe*  had  sweetly  in  the  lap 
or  Loring  taken  out  his  nap ; 
When  all  th'  encircling  hills  around 
With  instantaneous  breastworks  crown'd,t 


*  The  sun  had  long  since,  in  the  lap 
Of  Thetis,  taken  out  his  nap.    Butler. 

f  The  heights  of  Dorchester  overlook  the  south  part 
of  Boston,  and  command  the  passage  of  the  harbor.  By 
an  unexpected  movement,  Washington  took  possession 
and  erected  works  on  them  in  a  single  night.  Putnam 
placed  a  number  of  barrels  in  front,  filled  with  sand,  to 
be  rolled  down  on  the  British  columns,   in  case  they 


M'FINGAL. 

With  pointed  thunders  met  his  sight, 
Like  magic,  rear'd  the  former  night. 
Each  summit,  far  as  eye  commands, 
Shone,  peopled  with  rebellious  bands. 
Aloft  their  tow'ring  heroes  rise, 
As  Titans  erst  assail'd  the  skies  ;* 
Leagued  in  superior  force  to  prove 
The  sceptred  hand  of  British  Jove. 
Mounds  piled  on  hills  ascended  fair 
With  batt'ries  placed  in  middle  air, 
That  hurl'd  their  fiery  bolts  amain. 
In  thunder  on  the  trembling  plain, 
I  saw,  along  the  prostrate  strand 
Our  baffled  generals  quit  the  land. 


148 


should  attempt  to  scale  the  eminence.  Howe  after  sundry 
manoeuvres  was  discouraged  from  the  attempt,  and  as 
Boston  was  no  longer  tenable,  made  a  truce  with  Wash- 
ington, evacuated  the  place,  and  sailed  with  his  troops  to 
Halifax. 

*  The  Titans  are  described  by  the  old  poets,  as  giants, 
sons  of  the  earth,-  who  made  an  insurrection  against 
Jupiter.  They  heaped  mountains  upon  mountains,  in 
order  to  scale  the  Gibraltar  of  the  pagan  Olympus ;  but 
were  foiled  by  the  thunders  of  Jove  and  the  arrows  of 
Apollo.    See  Ilasiod,  &c. 


144 


M'FING  AL. 


£1  .■ 


Eager,  as  frighted  mermaids,  flee 

T'  our  boasted  element,  the  sea, 

And  tow'rd  their  town  of  refuge  fly, 

Like  convict  Jews  condemn'd  to  die. 

Then  to  the  north  I  turn'd  my  eyes, 

Where  Saratoga's  heights  arise. 

And  saw  our  chosen  vet'ran  band 

Descend  in  terror  o'er  the  land ; 

T'  oppose  this  fury  of  alarms, 

Saw  all  New  England  wake  to  arms. 

And  every  Yankee,  full  of  mettle. 

Swarm  forth,  like  bees  at  sound  of  kettle. 

Not  Rome,  when  Tarquin  raped  Lucretia, 

Saw  wilder  must'ring  of  militia. 

Through  all  the  woods  and  plains  of  fight. 

What  mortal  battles  pain'd  my  sight. 

While  British  corses  strew'd  the  shore. 

And  Hudson  tinged  his  streams  with  gore. 

What  tongue  can  tell  the  dismal  day, 

Or  paint  the  parti-color'd  fray. 

When  yeomen  left  their  fields  afar 

To  plow  the  crimson  plains  of  war; 

When  zeal  to  swords  transform'd  their  shares. 

And  turn'd  their  pruning  hooks  to  spears. 

Changed  tailor's  geese  to  guns  and  ball, 

And  stretch'd  to  pikes  the  cobbler's  awl ; 


M'FINGAL.  145 

While  hunters,  fierce  like  mighty  Nimrod, 
Made  on  our  troops  a  furious  inroad, 
And  levelling  squint  on  barrel  round, 
Brought  our  beau-officers  to  ground ; 
While  sunburnt  wigs,  in  high  command, 
Rush  daring  on  our  frighted  band. 
And  ancient  beards*  and  hoary  hair. 
Like  meteors,  stream  in  troubled  air ; 
While  rifle-frocks  drove  Gen'rals  cap'ring. 
And  Red-coatsf  shrunk  from  leathern  apron, 
And  epaulette  and  gorget  run 
From  whinyard  brown  and  rusty  gun. 
WHh  locks  unshorn  not  Samson  more 
Made  useless  all  the  show  of  war, 
Nor  fought  with  ass's  jaw  for  rarity 
With  more  success,  or  singularity. 
I  saw  our  vet'ran  thousands  yield. 
And  pile  their  muskets  on  the  field. 
And  peasant  guards,  in  rueful  plight, 
March  off  our  captured  bands  from  fight; 


*  Loose  his  beard  and  hoary  hair 
Stream'd  like  a  meteor  to  the  troubled  air.         Gray. 

f  An  American  cant  name  for  the  British  troops,  taken 

from  the  color  of  their  uniform. 

13 


146 


M'FINO  AL. 


I  t 


While  every  rebel  fife  in  play 
To  Yankee-doodle  tuned  its  lay, 
And  like  the  music  of  the  spheres, 
Mellifluous  sooth'd  their  vanquish'd  ears." 

"  Alas,  I  cried,  what  baleful  star 
Sheds  fatal  influence  on  the  war  ? 
And  who  that  chosen  chief  of  fame. 
That  heads  this  grand  parade  of  shame  V 

"  There  see  how  fate,  great  Malcolm  cried, 
Strikes  with  its  bolts  the  tow'rs  of  pride  '^ 
Behold  that  martial  Macaroni, 
Compound  of  Phcebus  and  Bellona, 
Equipp'd  alike  for  feast  or  fray, 
With  warlike  sword  and  singsong  lay, 
Where  equal  wit  and  valor  join  I 
This,  this  is  he — the  famed  Burgoyne ! 
Who  pawn'd  his  honor  and  commission. 
To  coax  the  patriots  to  submission. 
By  songs  and  balls  secure  allegiance, 
And  dance  the  ladies  to  obedience.* 


*  Such  were  Burgoyne's  declarations,  when  he  was 
setting  out  to  command  in  America.  This  pleasant  mode 
of  warfare  not  meeting  with  the  expected  success  at 
Boston,  he  appears  to  have  changed  his  plan  in  his  north- 
ern erpedition ;  in  which  the  Indians  received  compen- 


M  '  F  I  N  a  A  L  .  147 

Oft  his  Camp-Muses  he'll  parade 

At  Boston  in  the  grand  blockade ; 

And  well  inspired  with  punch  of  arrack, 

Hold  converse  sweet  in  tent  or  barrack, 

Aroused  to  more  poetic  passion, 

Both  by  his  theme  and  situation, 

For  genius  works  more  strong  and  clear 

When  close  confined,  like  bottled  beer. 

So  Prior's*  wit  gain'd  matchless  power 

By  inspiration  of  the  Tower ; 

And  Raleigh,  once  to  prison  hurl'd, 

Wrote  the  whole  hist'ry  of  the  world ; 

So  Wilkes  grew,  while  in  jail  he  lay, 

More  patriotic  every  day. 

But  found  his  zeal,  when  not  confined. 

Soon  sink  below  the  freezing  point. 

And  public  spirit,  once  so  fair. 

Evaporate  in  open  air. 

sation  for  American  scalps,  without  distinction  of  gender. 
He  denied  however  his  personal  agency  in  these  transac- 
tions. Se3  the  correspondence  between  him  and  General 
Gates,  oijcasioned  by  the  murder  and  scalping  of  Miss 
McCrea. 


*  Prior  wrote  his  Alma,  the  best  of  his  works,  while  in 
confinement  in  the  Tower  of  London. 


J 


Wm  I 


111 ) ' 


148 


M'FINGAL. 


But  thou,  great  favorite  of  Venus, 

By  no  such  luck  shalt  cramp  thy  genius ; 

Thy  friendly  stars,  till  wars  shall  cease. 

Shall  ward  th'  ill  fortune  of  release, 

And  hold  thee  fast  in  bonds  not  feeble. 

In  good  condition  still  to  scribble. 

Such  merit  fate  shall  shield  from  firinff. 

Bomb,  carcase,  langridge  and  cold  iron. 

Nor  trust  thy  doubly-laurell'd  head, 

To  rude  assaults  of  flying  lead. 

Hence  thou,  from  Yankee  troops  retreating, 

For  pure  good  fortune  shall  be  beaten. 

Not  taken  oft,  released  or  rescued. 

Pass  for  small  change,  like  simple  Prescott;* 

But  captured  then,  as  fates  befall. 

Shall  stand  thy  fortune,  once  for  all. 

Then  raise  my  daring  thoughts  sublime. 

And  dip  thy  conq'ring  pen  in  rhyme, 

And  changing  war  for  puns  and  jokes. 

Write  new  Blockades  and  Maids  of  Oaks."t 

*  General  Prescott  was  taken  and  exchanged  several 
times  during  the  war. 

f  The  Maid  of  the  Oaks  is  a  farce  by  Burgoyne, 
often  acted  on  the  English  theatre.  During  the  winter  in 
which  the  British  troops  were  shut  up  in  Boston,  they 


M'FINGAL.  149 

This  said,  he  turn'd  and  saw  the  tale 
Had  dyed  my  trembling  cheeks  with  palej* 
Then  pitying  in  a  milder  vein, 
Pursued  the  visionary  strain  ; 

"  Too  much  perhaps  hath  pain'd  your  view, 
From  vict'ries  of  the  Rebel  crew. 
Now  see  the  deeds,  not  small  or  scanty, 
Of  British  valor  and  humanity; 
And  learn  from  this  heroic  sight. 
How  England's  sons  and  friends  can  fight, 

amused  themselves  with  the  acting  of  a  new  farce,  called 
The  Blockade  of  Boston;  the  humor  of  which  'consisted  in 
burlesquing  the  Yankee  phrases,  unmilitary  dress,  and 
awkward  appearance  of  the  new  American  levies,  by 
whom  they  were  besieged :  like  the  fancy  of  Cardinal  De 
Eetz,  who  while  condemned  to  a  severe  imprisonment, 
took  his  revenge  by  writing  the  life  of  his  jailor.  This 
play  was  generally  ascribed  to  the  pen  of  Burgoyne.  As 
he  was,  on  his  final  capture,  returned  to  England,  in  good 
condition  still  to  scribble,  he  took  the  advice  of  Malcolm, 
and  wrote  the  comedy  of  The  Heiress,  which  is  indeed 
one  of  the  best  modern  productions  of  the  British 
stage. 


-*  dyed  her  cheeks  with  pale. 
13* 


Milton. 


150 


M'FINGAL. 


In  what  dread  scenes  their  courage  grows, 
And  how  they  conquer'd  all  their  foes." 

I  look'd,  and  saw  in  wintry  skies 
Our  spacious  prison-walls  arise, 
Where  Britons,  all  their  captives  taming, 
Plied  them  with  scourging,  cold  and  famine. 
By  noxious  food  and  plagues  contagious 
Reduced  to  life's  last,  fainting  stages. 
Amid  the  dead,  that  crowd  the  scene. 
The  moving  skeletons  were  seen. 
Aloft  the  haughty  Loring*  stood. 
And  thrived,  like  Vampire,t  on  their  blood. 


*  Loring  was  a  refugee  from  Boston,  made  commissary 
of  prisoners  by  General  Howe.  The  consummate  cruel- 
ties, practised  on  the  American  prisoners  under  his  ad- 
ministration, almost  exceed  the  ordinary  powers  of  human 
invention.  The  conduct  of  the  Turks  in  putting  all  pris- 
oners to  death  is  certainly  much  more  rational  and 
humane,  than  that  of  the  British  army  for  the  three  first 
years  of  the  American  war,  or  till  after  the  capture  of 
Burgoyne.    Lond.  Edit 

t  The  notion  of  Vampires  is  a  superstition,  that 
formerly  prevailed  in  many  nations  of  Europe.  They 
pretend  it  is  a  dead  body,  which  rises  out  of  its  grave  in 
the  night  and  sucks  the  blood  of  the  living. 


ii 


M'FING  AL. 

And  counting  all  his  gains  arising, 
Dealt  daily  rations  out,  of  poison. 
At  hand  our  troops,  in  vaunting  strain. 
Insulted  all  their  wants  and  pain, 
And  turn'd  upon  the  dying  tribe 
The  bitter  taunt  and  scornful  gibe  ; 
And  British  captains,  chiefs  of  might. 
Exulting  in  the  joyous  sight. 
On  foes  disarm'd,  vvitli  courage  daring. 
Exhausted  all  their  tropes  of  swearing. 
Distain'd  around  with  rebel  blood. 
Like  Milton's  Lazar*  house  it  stood, 
V  -lere  grim  Despair  presided  Nurse, 
And  Death  was  Regent  of  the  house. 

Amazed  I  cried,  "  Is  this  the  way 
That  British  valor  wins  the  day  ?" 
More  had  I  said  in  strains  unwelcome. 
Till  interrupted  thus  by  Malcolm. 

"  Blame  not,  said  he,  but  learn  the  reason 
Of  this  new  mode  of  conq'ring  treason. 


151 


-*  a  place 


Before  bis  eyes  appear'd,  sad,  noisome,  dark, 

A  Lazar  house  it  seem'd  ■ Despair 

Tended  the  sick,  busiest  from  couch  to  couch. 
And  over  them  triumphant  Death  his  dart 
Shook,  but  delay'd  to  strike Milton. 


;;,!,! 


13.-  ■f 


:  i  !:■  !l 


% 


1*1':  ^ 


152 


M'FING  AL. 


'Tis  but  a  wise,  politic  plan 
To  root  out  all  the  rebel  clan ; 
For  surely  treason  ne'er  can  thrive 
Were  not  a  soul  is  left  alive ; 
A  scheme  all  other  chiefs  to  surpass, 
And  do  th'  effectual  work  to  purpose. 
Know,  War  itself  is  nothing  further 
Than  th'  art  and  mystery  of  Murther: 
He,  who  most  methods  has  essay 'd, 
Is  the  best  Gen'ral  of  the  trade, 
And  stands  Death's  plenipotentiary 
To  conquer,  poison,  starve  and  bury. 
This  Howe  well  knew  and  thus  began ; 
(Despising  Carlton's*  coaxing  plan, 
To  keep  his  pris'ners  well  and  merry. 
And  deal  them  food,  like  commissary. 
And  by  parol  or  ransom  vain, 
Dismiss  them  all  to  fight  again) 


*  Sir  Guy  Carlton,  afterwards  Lord  Dorchescer,  was 
Governor  of  Canada,  at  the  time  of  our  unfortunate  attack 
on  Quebec  by  the  forces  under  Montgomery.  He  treated 
his  American  prisoners  on  principles  of  humanity,  and 
formed  the  only  exception  to  the  cruelty  and  folly  of  the 
British  commanders 


M'FINGAL. 

Hence  his  first  captives,  with  great  spirit 
He  tied  up,  for  his  troops  to  fire  at,* 
And  hoped  they'd  learn  on  foes  thus  taken, 
To  aim  at  rebels  without  shaking. 
Then  deep  in  stratagem,  he  plann'd 
The  sure  destruction  of  the  land  ; 
Turn'd  famine,  torture  and  despair 
To  useful  enginry  of  war ; 
Sent  forth  the  small-pox,t  and  the  greater. 
To  thin  the  land  of  every  traitor; 
Spread  desolation  o'er  their  head. 
And  plagues  in  providence's  stead  ; 
Perform'd  with  equal  skill  and  beauty 
Th'  avenging  Angel's  tour  of  duty 
Then  bade  these  prison-walls  arise, 
Like  temple  tow'ring  to  the  skies. 
Where  British  clemency  renown'd 
Might  fix  her  seat  on  hallow'd  ground. 


153 


*  This  was  done  openly  and  without  censure,  in  many 
instances,  by  the  troops  under  Howe's  command,  on  his 
first  conquest  of  Long  Island. 

f  Great  pains  was  taken  by  emissaries  from  New  York 
to  communicate  the  small-pox  through  the  country.  It 
became  necessary  to  counteract  the  attempt  by  a  general 
inoculation  of  the  inhabitants. 


154 


M'FINGAL. 


'i}':. 


(That  Virtue,  as  each  herald  saith, 

Of  whole  blood  kin  to  Punic  Faith) 

Where  all  her  godlike  pow'rs  unveiling, 

She  finds  a  grateful  shrine  to  dwell  in : 

And  at  this  altar  for  her  honor. 

Chose  this  High-priest  to  wait  upon  her, 

Who  with  just  rites,  in  ancient  guise. 

Offers  the  human  sacrifice. 

Here  every  day,  her  vot'ries  tell. 

She  more  devours,  than  th'  idol  Bel ; 

And  thirsts  more  rav'nously  for  gore, 

Than  any  worshipp'd  Power  before. 

That  ancient  heathen  godhead,  Moloch, 

Oft  stay'd  his  stomach  with  a  bullock  ; 

And  if  his  morning  rage  you'd  check  first : 

One  child  sufficed  him  for  a  breakfast : 

But  British  clemency  with  zeal 

Devours  her  hundreds  at  a  meal ; 

Right  well  by  nat'ralists  defined 

A  being  of  carniv'rous  kind  : 

So  erst  Gargantua*  pleased  his  palate. 

And  eat  six  pilgrims  up  in  sallad. 

Not  blest  with  maw  less  ceremonious 

The  wide-mouth'd  whale,  that  svvallow'd  Jonas ; 


*  See  Eabelais'  History  of  the  Giant  Gargantua. 


M'FING  AL. 


155 


Like  earthquake  gapes,  to  death  devote, 

That  open  sepulchre,  her  throat 

The  grave  or  barren  womb  you'd  stuff. 

And  sooner  bring  to  cry,  enough  ; 

Or  fatten  up  to  fair  condition 

The  leal  ^  ?sL       ine  of  Pharaoh's  vision. 

Behold  ner  teiuple,  where  it  stanJ 
Erect,  by  famed  Britannic  hands. 
'Tis  the  Black-hole  of  Indian  structure, 
New-built  in  English  architecture, 
On  plan,  'tis  said,  contrived  and  wrote 
By  Clive  before  he  cut  his  throat ; 
Who,  ere  he  took  himself  in  hand. 
Was  her  high-priest  in  nabob-land  : 
And  when  with  conq'ring  triumph  crown'd, 
He'd  well  enslaved  the  nation  round, 
With  tender  British  heart,  the  chief. 
Since  slavery's  worse  than  loss  of  life. 
Bade  desolation  circle  far. 
And  famine  end  the  work  of  war; 
And  loosed  their  chains,  and  for  their  merits 
Dismiss'd  them  free  to  worlds  of  spirits. 
Whence  they  with  choral  hymns  of  praise, 
Return'd  to  soothe  his  latter  days,* 


*  Clive  in  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  conceived  him- 
self haunted  by  the  ghosts  of  those  persons,  who  were  the 


156 


WFiy^  AL. 


»  '■,  f. 


I 


And  hov'ring  round  his  restless  bed. 
Spread  nightly  visions  o'er  his  head. 

Now  turn  thine  eyes  to  nobler  sights, 
And  mark  the  prowess  of  our  figiits. 
Behold  like  whelps  of  Britain's  lion, 
Our  warriors,  Clinton,  Vaughan,  and  Tryon, 
March  forth  with  patriotic  joy 
To  ravish,  plunder,  burn,  destroy. 
Great  Gen'rals,  foremost  in  their  nation. 
The  journeymen  of  Desolation  I 
Like  Samson's  foxes,  each  assails. 
Let  loose  with  firebrands  in  their  tails. 
And  spreads  destruction  more  forlorn. 
Than  they  among  Philistine  corn. 
And  see  in  flames  their   riumphs  rise, 
Illuming  all  the  nether     .ies, 
O'er-streaming,  like  a  new  Aurora, 
The  western  hemisphere  with  glory  ! 
What  towns,  in  ashes  laid,  confess 
These  heroes'  prowess  and  success  ! 
What  blacken'd  walls  and  burning  fanes. 
For  trophies  spread  the  ruin'd  plains ! 


victims  of  his  humanity  in  the  East  Indies.  It  is  pre- 
sumed that  he  showed  them  the  vote  of  parliament,  re- 
turning thanks  for  his  services. 


M'FINGAL. 


157 


pre- 
re- 


What  females,  caught  in  evil  hour, 

By  force  submit  to  British  power ; 

Or  plunder'd  negroes  in  disaster 

Confess  King  George  their  lord  and  master ! 

What  crimson  corses  strew  their  way, 

What  smoking  carnage  dims  the  day  ! 

Along  the  shore,  for  sure  reduction. 

They  wield  the  besom  of  destruction, 

Great  Homer  likens,  in  his  Ilias, 

To  dogstar  bright  the  fierce  Achilles; 

But  ne'er  beheld  in  red  procession 

Three  dogstars  rise  in  constellation. 

Nor  saw,  in  glooms  of  evening  misty. 

Such  signs  of  fiery  triplicity, 

Which,  far  beyond  the  comet's  tail. 

Portend  destruction  where  they  sail. 

Oh,  had  Great  Britain's  warlike  shore 

Produced  but  ten  such  heroes  more. 

They'd  spared  the  pains,  and  held  the  station 

Of  this  world's  final  conflagration  ; 

Which  when  its  time  comes,  at  a  stand, 

Would  find  its  work  all  done  t'  its  hand  ! 

Yet  though  gay  hopes  our  eyes  may  bless. 
Malignant  fate  forbids  success ; 
Like  morning  dreams  our  conquest  flies. 
Dispersed  before  the  dawn  arise." 

U 


•ill     1^ 


i-,1*:' 


:'  r    ( 


m:    '[\ 


158 


M'FING  AL. 


Here  Malcolm  paused ;  when  pond'ring  long 
Grief  thus  gave  utt'rance  to  my  tongue. 
"  Where  shrink  in  fear  our  friends  dismay'd, 
And  where  the  Tories'  promi  cd  aid  ? 
Can  none,  amid  these  fierce  alarms, 
Assist  the  power  of  royal  arms  ?" 
"In  vain,  he  cried,  our  King  depends 
On  promised  aid  of  Tory  friends. 
When  our  own  efforts  want  success, 
Friends  ever  fail,  as  fears  increase. 
As  leaves,  in  blooming  verdure  wove. 
In  warmth  of  summer  clothe  the  grove. 
But  when  autumnal  frosts  arise. 
Leave  bare  their  trunks  to  wintry  skies : 
So,  while  your  power  can  aid  their  ends. 
You  ne'er  can  need  ten  thousand  friends  ; 
But  once  in  want,  by  foes  disgi'iy'd, 
May  advertise  them,  stol'n  or  stray'd. 
Thus  ere  Great  Britain's  force  grew  slack, 
She  gain'd  .that  aid  she  did  not  lack  ; 
But  now  in  dread,  imploring  pity, 
All  hear  unmoved  her  dol'rous  ditty  ; 
Allegiance  wand'ring  turns  astray, 
And  Faith  grows  dim  for  lack  of  pay. 
In  vain  she  tries,  by  new  inventions, 
Fear,  falsehood,  flatt'ry,  threats,  and  pensions ; 


M'FING  AL. 

Or  sends  commiss'ners  with  credentials 
Of  promises  and  penitentials. 
As,  for  his  fare  o'er  Styx  of  old, 
The  Trojan  stole  the  bough  of  gold, 
And  least  grim  Cerb'rus  should  make  head, 
Stuff 'd  both  his  fobs  with  ginger-bread;* 
l^ehold,  at  Britain's  utmost  shifts, 
Comes  Jonstonef  loaded  with  like  gifts. 
To  venture  through  the  whiggish  tribe. 
To  cuddle,  wheedle,  coax,  and  bribe ; 
And  call,  to  aid  his  desp'rate  mission, 
His  petticoated  politician, 


159 


-*  medicatam  frugibus  offam. 


Virgil. 


f  In  the  year  1778,  after  the  capture  of  Burgoyne,  our 
good  government  passed  an  act,  repealing  all  the  acts  of 
which  the  Americans  complained,  provided  they  would 
rescind  their  declaration  of  Independence,  and  continue 
to  be  our  colonies.  The  ministry  then  sent  over  three 
commissioners,  Mr.  Johnstone,  Mr.  Eden,  and  a  certain 
lord.  These  commissioners  began  their  operations  and 
finished  them,  by  attempting  to  bribe  individuals  among 
the  members  of  the  states,  and  of  the  army.  This  bait 
appears  to  have  caught  nobody  but  Arnold.  The  'petti- 
coated politician^  here  mentioned,  was  a  woman  of  Phila- 
delphia, through  whose  agency  they  offered  a  bribe  to 
Joseph  Reid,  Governor  of  Pennsylvania.  London  Edit. 
K 


160 


M'FINGAL. 


:     5    I 


:)      I 


m 


r 


While  Venus,  joiii'd  to  act  the  farce, 
Strolls  forth  einbassadress  for  Mars. 
In  vain  he  strives,  for  while  he  lingers, 
These  mastiffs  bite  his  off'ring  fingers ; 
Nor  buys  for  George  and  realms  infernal 
One  spaniel,  but  the  mongrel,  Arnold. 

"  'Tvvere  vain  to  paint,  in  vision'd  show, 
The  mighty  nothings  done  by  Howe  j 
What  towns  he  takes  in  mortal  fray. 
As  stations  whence  to  run  away  ; 
What  triumphs  gain'd  in  conflict  warm. 
No  aid  to  us,  to  them  no  harm  ; 
For  still  th'  event  alike  is  fatal, 
Whate'er  success  attend  the  battle, 
Whether  he  vict'ry  gain  or  lose  it, 
Who  ne'er  had  skill  enough  to  use  it. 
And  better  'twere,  at  their  expense, 
T'  have  drubb'd  him  into  common  sense, 
And  waked,  by  bastings  on  his  rear, 
Th'  activity,  though  but  of  fear. 
By  slow  advance  his  arms  prevail, 
Like  emblematic  march  of  snail. 
That,  ^e  Millennium  nigh  or  far, 
TVould  long  before  him  end  the  war. 
From  York  to  Philadelphian  ground, 
He  sweeps  the  pompous  flourish  round. 


M'FIN  GAL. 


161 


Whccl'd  circ'inr  by  eccentric  stars, 
Like  racing  hoys  at  prison-bars, 
Wiio  take  th'  opposing  crew  in  whole, 
By  running  round  the  adverse  goal; 
"Works  wide  the  traverse  of  his  course, 
Like  ship  t'  evade  the  tempest's  force ; 
Like  mill-horse  circling  in  his  race. 
Advances  not  a  single  pace, 
And  leaves  no  trophies  of  reduction, 
Save  that  of cankerworms,  destructim. 
Thus  having  long  both  countries  curst, 
lie  quits  them  as  he  found  them  first. 
Steers  home  disgraced,  of  little  worth, 
To  join  Burgoyne  and  rail  at  North. 

"  Now  raise  thine  eyes  and  view  with  pleasure, 
The  triumphs  of  his  famed  successor." 

"  I  look'd,  and  now  by  magic  lore 
Faint  rose  to  view  the  Jersey  shore  : 
But  dimly  seen  in  gloom  array'd, 
For  night  had  pour'd  her  sable  shade. 
And  every  star,  with  glimm'ri  ::;s  pale, 
Was  muffled  deep  in  ev'ning  veil. 
Scarce  visible,  in  dusky  night 
Advancing  red-coats  rose  m  sight ; 
The  length'ning  train  in  gleaming  rows 
Stole  silent  from  their  slumb'ring  foes  j 

14* 


i      I ' 


}■■  r 


* " '  i 


*!.    i! 


,'i;!'^'!        1 


il;  :H!i 


162 


M'FINGAL. 


No  trembling  soldier  dared  to  speak. 
And  not  a  wheel  presumed  to  creak. 
My  looks  my  new  surprize  confess'd, 
Till  by  great  Malcolm  thus  address'd. 
"  Spend  not  thy  wits  in  vain  researches : 
'Tis  one  of  Clinton's  moonlight  marches. 
From  Philadelphia  now  retreating 
To  save  his  baffled  troops  a  beating, 
With  hasty  strides  he  flies  m  vain, 
His  rear  attack'd  on  Monmouth  plain. 
With  various  chance  the  dread  affray 
Holds  in  suspense  till  close  of  day. 
When  his  tired  bands,  o'ermatch'd  in  fight, 
Are  rescued  by  descending  night. 
He  forms  his  camp,  with  great  parade, 
While  evening  spreads  the  world  in  shade, 
Then  still,  like  some  endanger'd  spark. 
Steals  off  on  tiptoe  in  the  dark : 
Yet  writes  his  king  in  boasting  tone 
How  grand  he  march'd  by  light  of  moon.* 


*  General  Clinton's  official  despatches,  giving  an  ac- 
count of  his  raarching  from  Monmouth  by  moonlight, 
furnished  a  subject  of  much  pleasantry  in  America ; 
where  it  was  known  that  the  moon  had  set  two  hours 
before  the  march  bcRan.     London  Edit. 


M'FINGAL. 


163 


I  see  him,  but  thou  canst  not ;  proud 
He  leads  in  front  the  trembling  crowd, 
And  wisely  knows,  as  danger's  near, 
'Twill  fall  much  heaviest  on  his  rear. 
Go  on,  great  gen'ral,  nor  regard 
The  scoflfs  of  every  scribbling  bard  ; 
Who  sings  how  gods,  that  fearful  night, 
Aided  by  miracle  your  flight. 
As  once  they  used,  in  Homer's  day, 
To  help  weak  heroes  tun  away ; 
Tells  how  the  hours,  at  this  sad  trial. 
Went  back,  as  erst  on  Ahaz'  dial. 
While  British  Joshua  stay'd  the  moon 
On  Monmouth  plains  for  Ajalon. 
Heed  not  their  sneers  or  gibes  so  arch. 
Because  she  set  before  your  march. 
A  small  mistake !  your  meaning  right ; 
You  take  her  influence  for  her  light ; 
Her  influence,  which  shall  be  your  guide, 
And  o'er  your  gen'ralship  preside. 
Hence  still  shall  teem  your  empty  skull 
With  vict'ries,  when  the  moon's  at  full, 
Which  by  transition  passing  strange 
Wane  to  defeats  before  the  change. 
Still  shall  you  steer,  on  land  or  ocean. 
By  like  eccentric  lunar  motion ; 


164 


M'FING  AL. 


\J', 


Ml 


*■  li 


Eclips'ii  in  many  a  fatal  crisis, 

And  dimm'd  when  Washington  arises. 

"  And  see  how  Fate,  herself  turn'd  traitor. 
Inverts  the  ancient  course  of  nature  ; 
And  changes  manners,  tempers,  climes, 
To  suit  the  genius  ^f  the  times ! 
See,  Bourbon  forms  a  gen'rous  plan,  ' 

New  guardian  of  the  rights  of  man. 
And  prompt  in  firm  alliance  joins 
To  aid  the  Rebels'  proud  designs ! 
Behold  from  realms  of  eastern  day 
His  sails*  innum'rous  shape  their  way, 
In  warlike  line  the  billows  sweep, 
And  roll  the  thunders  of  the  deep ! 
See,  low  in  equinoctial  skies,     » 
The  western  islands  fall  their  prize ; 
See  British  flags,  o'ermatch'd  in  might. 
Put  all  their  faith  in  instant  flight. 
Or  broken  squadrons,  from  th'  aifray. 
Drag  slow  their  wounded  hulks  away ! 


*  In  1779,  the  French  king  sent  a  powerful  fleet  to  the 
"West  Indies,  which  was  very  successful  in  the  conquest 
of  St.  Viuoents  and  Grenada,  the  defeat  of  Admiral  Biron 
in  a  naval  engagement,  and  the  capture  of  a  British  ship 
of  the  line  and  several  frigates,  on  the  American  coast. 


M'FINGAL.  155 

Behold  his  chiefs,  in  daring  setts, 
D'Estaignes,  De  Grasses,  and  Fayeltes, 
Spread  through  our  camps  their  dread  alarms, 
And  swell  the  fear  of  rebel  arms ! 
Yet  ere  our  glories  sink  in  night, 
A  gleam  of  hope  shall  strike  your  sight ; 
As  lamps,  that  fail  of  oil  and  fire, 
Collect  one  glimm'ring  to  expire. 

"  For  lo,  where  southern  shores  extend, 
Behold  our  gather'd  hosts  descend. 
Where  Charleston  views,  with  varying  beams 
Her  turrets  gild  th'  encircling  streams  ! 
Ther'^  by  superior  force  compell'd. 
Behold  their  gallant  Lincoln*  yield; 
Nor  aught  the  wreaths  avail  him  now, 
Pluck'd  from  Burgoyne's  imperious  brow. 


*  General  Lincoln  was  second  in  command  in  the 
army  of  General  Gates,  during  the  campaign  of  1777, 
which  ended  in  the  capture  of  General  Burgoyne.  He 
afterwards  commanded  the  army  in  South  Carolina,  and 
was  taken  prisoner  with  the  garrison  of  Charleston  in 
1780.        London  Edit. 

This  happened  in  consequence  of  the  determination 
of  Congress,  that  Charleston  should  at  all  events  be 
defended. 


166 


M'FINQAL. 


''m 


ihi 


See,  furious  from  the  vanquish'd  strand, 
Comwallis  leads  his  mighty  band ; 
The  southern  realms  and  Georgian  shore 
Submit  and  own  the  victor's  power; 
Lo  !  sunk  before  his  wasting  way. 
The  Carolinas  fall  his  prey  ! 
See.  shrinking  from  his  conq'ring  eye. 
The  Rebel  legions  fall  or  fly  ; 
And  with'ring  in  these  torrid  skies. 
The  northern  laurel  fades  and  dies  !* 
With  rapid  force  he  leads  his  train 
To  fair  Virginia's  cultured  plain, 
Triumphant  eyes  the  travell'd  zone. 
And  boasts  the  southern  realm  his  own. 

"  Nor  yet  this  hero's  glories  bright 
Blaze  only  in  the  fields  of  fight. 
Not  Howe's  humanity  more  deserving 
In  gifts  of  hanging  and  of  starving; 
Not  Arnold  plunders  more  tobacco. 
Or  steals  more  negroes  for  Jamaica  ;t 


*  This  refers  to  the  fortune  of  General  Gates,  who  after 
having  conquered  Burgoyne  in  the  Nortb,  was  defeated 
by  Comwallis  iu  the  South.    London  Edit. 

f  Arnold  in  the  year  1781,  having  been  converted  to 
our  cause,  commanded  a  detachment  of  our  army  in  Vir- 


M'FING  AL. 


167 


Scarce  Rodney's  self,  among  th'  Eustatians, 

Insults  so  well  the  laws  of  nations ; 

Ev'n  Tryon's  fame  i  jws  dim,  and  mourning 

He  yields  the  civic  crown  of  burning. 

I  see,  with  pleasure  and  surprize, 

New  triumph  sparkling  in  your  eyes ; 

But  view,  where  now  renew'd  in  might. 

Again  the  Rebels  dare  the  fight." 

"  I  look'd,  and  far  in  southern  skies 

Saw  Greene,  their  second  hope,  arise, 

And  with  his  small,  but  gallant,  band. 

Invade  the  Carolinian  land. 

As  winds,  in  stormy  circles  whirl'd. 

Rush  billowy  o'er  the  darken'd  world, 

And*where  their  wasting  fury  roves 

Successive  sweep  th'  astonish'd  groves : 

Thus  where  he  pours  the  rapid  fight. 

Our  boasted  conquests  sink  in  night. 


ginia ;  where  he  plundered  many  cargoes  of  negroes  and 
tobacco,  and  sent  them  to  Jamaica  for  his  own  account. 
How  far  Lord  Eodney  may  have  excelled  nim  in  this 
\ind  of  heroic  achievements,  time  perhaps  will  never  dis- 
cover.    London  Edit. 


168 


M '  F  I  N  G  A  L . 


And  far  o'er  all  the  extended  field 
Our  forts  resign,  our  armies  yield, 
Till  now,  regain'd  the  vanquish'd  land, 
He  lifts  his  standard  on  the  strand. 

Again  to  fair  Virginia's  coast 
I  turn'd  and  vievv'd  the  British  host 
Where  Chesapeak's  wide  waters  lave 
Her  shores  and  join  th'  Atlantic  wave. 
There  famed  CornwalHs  tow'ring  rose, 
And  scorn'd  secure  his  distant  foes; 
His  bands  the  haughty  rampart  raise, 
And  bid  the  royal  standard  blaze. 
When  lo,  where  ocean's  bounds  extend, 
Behold  the  Gallic  sails  ascend. 
With  fav'ring  breezes  stem  their  way, 
And  crowd  with  ships  the  spacious  bay. 
Lo !  Washington,  from  northern  shores. 
O'er  many  a  region  wheels  his  force. 
And  Rochambeau,  with  legions  bright. 
Descends  in  terror  to  the  fight. 
Not  swifter  cleaves  his  rapid  way 
The  eagle,  cow'ring  o'er  his  prey; 
Or  knights  in  famed  romance,  that  fly 
On  fairy  pinions  through  the  sky. 
Amazed,  the  Briton's  startled  pride 
Sees  ruin  wake  on  every  side. 


M'FINGAL. 

And  all  his  troops,  to  fate  consign'd, 
By  instantaneous  stroke,  Burgoyned.* 
Not  Cadmus  vievv'd  with  more  surprise, 
From  earth  embattled  armies  rise, 
Who  from  the  dragon's  teeth  beheld 
Men  starting  fierce  with  spear  and  shield 4 
I  saw,  with  looks  downcast  and  grave, 
The  chief  emerging  from  his  cave, 
Where  chased,  like  fox,  in  mighty  round, 
His  hunters  earth'd  him  first  in  ground  ;;j: 
And  doom'd  by  fate  to  rebel  sway. 
Yield  all  his  captured  host  a  prey. 
There  while  I  view'd  the  vanquish'd  town. 
Thus  with  a  sigh  my  friend  went  on." 

"Behold'st  thou  not  that  band  forlorn, 
Like  slaves  in  Roman  triumphs  borne. 
Their  faces  length'ning  with  their  fears. 
And  cheeks  distain'd  with  streams  of  tears ; 


169 


*  To  Burgoyne  an  army  was  during  the  war,  a  favorite 
phrase  in  America,  to  express  a  complete  capture. 

f  See  Ovid's  Metamorphoses. 

X  Alluding  to  the  fact  of  Cornwallis'  taking  up  his 

residence  in  a  kind  of  Cave,  made  bomb-proof,  during 

the  siege  of  York  Town. 

15 


170 


M'FING  AL. 


'  I 


I  I 


Like  dramatis  personas  sage, 
Equipp'd  to  act  on  Tyburn's  stage. 
Lo,  these  are  they,  who  lured  by  follies 
Left  all,  and  follow'd  great  Cornwallis, 
Expectant  of  the  promised  glories. 
And  new  millennial  reign  of  Tories  ! 
Alas!  in  vain,  all  doubts  forgetting, 
They  tried  th'  omnipotence  of  Britain ; 
But  found  her  arm,  once  strong  and  brave, 
So  shorten'd  now,  she  cannot  save. 
Not  more  aghast,  departed  souls 
Who  risk'd  their  fate  on  Popish  bulls 
And  find  St.  Peter,  at  the  wicket, 
Refuse  to  countersign  their  ticket. 
When  driven  to  purgatory  back. 
With  each  his  pardon  in  his  pack  ; 
Than  Tories,  must'ring  at  their  stations. 
On  faith  of  royal  proclamations. 
As  Pagan  chiefs  at  every  crisis, 
Confirm'd  their  leagues  by  sacrifices. 
And  herds  of  beasts,  to  all  their  deities, 
Oblations  fell,  at  close  of  treaties : 
Cornwallis  thus,  in  ancient  fashion. 
Concludes  his  grand  capitulation  ;* 


*  All  tlie  favor,  whicli  Cornwallis,  on  his  surrender, 


J, 


M'FINGAL.  17i 

And  heedless  of  their  screams  or  suff 'rings, 
Gives  up  the  Tories  for  sin-oflfrings. 
See  where,  relieved  from  sad  embargo, 
Steer  off  consign'd  a  recreant  cargo; 
Like  old  scape-goats  to  roam  in  pain, 
Mark'd  like  their  great  forerunner,  Cain. 
The  rest  now  doom'd  by  British  leagues 
To  vengeance  of  resentful  Whigs, 
Hold  doubtful  lives  on  tenure  ill 
Of  tenancy  at  Rebel-will, 
While  hov'ring  o'er  their  forfeit  persons. 
The  gallows  waits  his  just  reversions. 
"  Thou  too,  M'FiNGAL,  ere  that  day, 
Shalt  taste  the  terrors  of  th'  affray. 
See,  o'er  thee  hangs  in  angry  skies, 
Where  Whiggish  constellations  rise. 
And  while  plebean  signs  ascend. 
Their  mob-inspiring  aspects  bend. 
That  baleful  star,  whose  horrid  hair* 
Shakes  forth  the  plagues  of  down  and  tar  ! 

stipulated  for  the  Tories  who  had  joined  him,  was  a  single 
frigate  free  from  search,  to  convey  away  a  few  of  the 
most  obnoxious. 


*  From  his  horrid  hair 

Shakes  pestilence  and  war.  Milton. 


,^ 


172 


M'FINGAL. 


\]\ 


I  see  tlie  pole,  that  rears  on  high 
Its  flag  terrific  through  the  sky  ; 
Tiie  mob  beneath  prepared  t'  attack, 
And  tar  predestined  for  thy  back. 
Ah  quit,  my  friend,  this  dang'rous  home. 
Nor  wait  tlie  darker  scenes  to  come. 
For  know,  that  fate' .  u''spicious  door, 
Once  shut  to  flight,  is  oped  no  more  ; 
Nor  wears  its  hinge,  by  changing  stations. 
Like  Mercy's  door  in  proclamations.* 

"  But  lest  thou  pause,  or  doubt  to  fly. 
To  stranger  visions  turn  thine  eye. 
Each  cloud,  that  dimm'd  thy  mental  ray, 
And  all  the  mortal  mists  decay. 
See,  more  than  human  pow'rs  befriend, 
And  lo !  their  hostile  forms  ascend.f 


*  Tlie  door  of  mercy  is  •now  open,  and  the  door  of  mercy 
will  he  shut,  were  phrases  so  often  used  in  the  proclama- 
tions of  the  British  Generals  in  America,  that  our  poet 
seems  to  fear  that  the  hinge  of  that  door  will  be  quite 
worn  out.        London  Edit. 

f  Apparent  dirae  facies,  inimicaq;  Trojse 
Numina  magna  deurn.  Virgil." 


M '  F  I  N  G  A  L . 

There  tovv'ring  o'er  the  extended  strand, 
The  Genius*  of  this  western  hind, 
For  vengeance  arin'd,  his  sword  assumes, 
And  stands,  like  Tories,  dress'd  in  plumes  ! 
See,  o'er  yon  Council-scat,  with  pride 
How  Freedom  spreads  her  b;in  its  wide! 
There  Patriotism,  with  torch  address'd 
To  fire  with  zeal  each  daring  breast ; 
While  all  the  virtues  in  their  train, 
Escap'd  with  pleasure  o'er  the  main. 
Desert  their  ancient  British  station, 
Possess'd  with  rage  of  emigration. 
Honor,  his  bus'ncss  at  a  stand. 
For  fear  of  starving  quits  their  land ; 
And  justice,  long  disgraced  at  court,  had 
By  Mansfield's  sentence  been  transported. 
Vict'ry  and  Fame  attend  their  way, 
Though  Britain  wish  their  longer  stay ; 
Care  not  what  George  or  North  would  be  at, 
IS  or  heed  their  writs  of  Ne  exeat : 
But  fired  with  love  of  colonizing, 
Quit  the  fall'n  empire  for  the  rising." 


173 


*  Generally  drawn  in  symbolical  paintings,  in  the 
dress  of  a  ative,  with  his  head  ornamented  with  a  high 
plume  of  feathers. 

16* 


174 


M'iMNO  AL. 


"  I  look'd,  and  saw,  with  liorror  smitten, 
These  hostile  pow'rs  averse  to  Britain. 

•*  When  lo,  an  awful  spectre  rose, 
With  languid  paleness  on  his  brows; 
Wan  dropsies  swell'd  his  form  beneath, 
And  iced  his  bloated  cheeks  with  death ; 
His  tatter'd  robes  exposed  him  bare 
To  every  blast  of  ruder  air ; 
On  two  weak  crutches  propp'd  he  stood, 
That  bent  at  every  step  he  trod ; 
Gilt  titles  graced  their  sides  so  slender. 
One,  "Regulation,"  t'other,  "Tender;" 
His  breastplate  graved,  with  various  dates, 
"The  faith  of  all  th'  United  States-"* 
Before  him  went  his  funeral  pall. 
His  grave  stood,  dug  to  wait  his  fall. 

"I  started,  and  aghast  I  cried, 
"  What  means  this  spectre  at  their  side  ? 
What  danger  from  a  pow'r  so  vain, 
Or  union  with  that  splendid  train  ?" 

"Alas,  great  Malcolm  cried,  experience 
Might  teach  you  not  to  trust  appearance. 


*  On  all  the  emissions  of  Continental  Bills  of  credit, 
Congress  pledged  for  their  punctual  redemption,  Thf 
Faith  of  the  United  States. 


M»FINGAL. 

Here  stands,  as  dress'd  by  fell  ndlona, 
The  ghost  ofConthicntal  Money!* 
Of  Dame  Necessity  descended, 
With  whom  credulity  engcnder'd  : 
Though  born  with* constitution  frail, 
And  feeble  strength  that  soon  must  fall. 
Yet  strangely  vers'd  in  magic  lore, 
And  gifted  with  transforming  power, 
Ilis  skill  the  wealth  Peruvian  joins. 
With  diamonds  of  Brazilian  mines. 


175 


*  The  description  here  given  of  the  Continental  paper- 
money  is  not  more  remarkable,  as  a  splendid  example  of 
the  sublime  burlesque,  than  as  a  faithful  picture  of  that 
financial  operation.  Though  this  money  was  counter- 
feited by  waggon  loads  in  the  British  garrisons,  and  sent 
into  circulation  in  the  country,  yet  none  of  the  conse- 
quences followed,  which  were  expected  from  this  manoeu- 
vre. The  paper  money  carried  on  the  war  for  five  years ; 
when  it  gave  place  to  other  measures,  which  the  circum- 
stances of  the  country  rendered  practicable,  and  went 
peaceably  to  rest,  as  here  described  by  the  Author. — The 
"  weak  crutches,"  called  Regulation  and  Tender,  by  which 
this  Spectre  is  supported,  allude  to  the  difterent  acts  of  the 
State  legislatures,  made  with  the  design  of  maintaining 
the  credit  of  the  Continental  paper.  Some  of  these  acts 
regulated  the  prices  of  commodities,  others  made  this 
paper  a  legal  tender  in  payment.  London  Edit. 
L 


176 


M'FINGAL. 


As  erst  Jove  fell,  by  subtle  wiles, 
On  Danae's*  apron  through  the  tiles. 
In  shovv'rs  of  gold;  his  potent  wand 
Shall  shed  like  show'rs  o'er  all  the  land. 
Less  great  the  wondrous  art  was  reckon'd 
Of  tallies  cast  by  Charles  the  second, 
Or  Law's  famed  Mississippi  schemes. 
Or  all  the  wealth  of  South  Sea  dreams. 
For  he,  of  all  the  world,  alone 
Osvns  the  long-sought  philos'pher's  stone. 
Restores  the  fabulous  times  to  view. 
And  proves  the  tale  of  Midasf  true. 
O'tir  heaps  of  rags  he  waves  his  wand ; 
All  turn  to  gold  at  his  command. 
Provide  for  present  wants  and  future. 
Raise  armies,  victual,  clothe,  accoutre. 


iij :;«  H 


II 


*  The  ancient  poets  say,  that  Jupiter  having  fallen  in 
love  with  Danae,  who  was  imprisoned  and  guarded  in  a 
brazen  tower,  succeeded  by  transforming  himself  into  a 
shower  of  Q'jid,  and  falling  through  the  roof  into  her 
lap. 

Persea,  quem  pluvio  Danae  conceperat  auro. 

Ovid  Metam.  lib,  4. 


f  Midas,  says  the  fable,  had  the  gift  of  turning  every 
thing  he  touched  to  gold. 


M'FING  AL. 


177 


Adjourn  our  conquests  by  essoin, 

Check  Howe's  advance,  and  take  Burgoyne; 

Then  makes  all  days  of  payment  vain. 

And  turns  all  back  to  rags  again? 

In  vain  great  Howe*  shall  play  his  part 

To  ape  and  counterfeit  his  art ; 

In  vain  shall  Clinton,*  more  belated, 

A  conj'rer  turn  to  imitate  it. 

With  like  ill  luck  and  pow'rs  as  narrow, 

They'll  fare,  like  sorcerers  of  old  Pharaoh; 

Who,  though  the  art  they  understood 

Of  turning  rivers  into  blood. 

And  caused  their  frogs  and  snakes  t'  exist. 

That  with  some  merit  croak'd  and  hiss'd. 

Yet  ne'er  by  every  quaint  device 

Could  frame  the  true  Mosaic  lice. 

He  for  the  W  higs  his  art  shall  try, 

Their  first,  and  long  their  sole,  ally ; 


*  Vast  quantities  of  counterfeit  bills,  in  imitation  of  the 
American  currency,  were  struck  and  sent  into  the  .coun- 
try from  New  York  and  Long  Island,  while  those 
Generals  commanded  the  British  army,  with  the  hope  of 
aiding  the  depreciation  of  the  Continental  money — a  mode 
of  warfare  which  they  esteemed  very  honorable  against 
rebels. 


n 
1,1 


R:y 


178 


M'FING  AL. 


A  Patriot  firm,  while  breath  he  draws, 
He'll  perish  in  his  country's  cause, 
And  when  his  magic  labors  cease, 
Lie  buried  in  eternal  peace. 

Now  view  the  scenes,  in  future  hours, 
That  wait  the  famed  European  powers. 
See,  where  yon  chalky  ciiflTs  arise, 
The  hills  of  Britain  strike  }^>ur  eyes; 
Its  small  extension  Ion/  supplied 
By  full  immensity  ofprid^; 
So  small,  that  had  it  found  a  station 
In  this  new  world,  at  first  creation, 
Or  doom'd  by  justice,  been  betimes 
Transported*  over  for  its  crimes, 
We'd  find  full  room  fbr't  in  lake  Erie,  or 
Tliat  larger  water-pond,  Superior,! 


*  Transportation  to  tlie  colonies  for  felony  is  a  com- 
mon punishment  by  the  English  laws :  but  that  the  whole 
British  Island  should  be  transported  seems  an  idea  extra- 
vagantly poetical. 

f  Lake  Superior  is  more  than  2200  miles  in  circum- 
ference ;  an  extent  sufficient  to  warrant  the  assertion  of 
the  poet,  that  the  inhabitants  of  Britain,  in  the  supposed 
situation,  would  not  be  able  to  spy  the  surrounding  shores 
of  the  lake. 


M'FIN  GAL. 


179 


Where  North  at  margin  taking  stand, 
Would  scarce  be  able  to  spy  land.* 
See,  dwindling  from  her  height  amain, 
What  piles  of  ruin  spread  the  plain ; 
With  mould'ring  hulks  her  ports  are  fiU'd, 
And  brambles  clothe  the  lonely  field ! 
See,  on  her  cliffs  her  genius  lies, 
His  handkerchief  at  boih  his  eyes, 


*  This  has  been  a  most  unlucky  couplet.  The  poem, 
completed  by  the  addition  of  the  two  last  cantos,  w  as  first 
p«blished  in  America  in  the  year  1782.  Some  years  after, 
the  whole  was  reprinted  in  London.  In  that  interval.  Lord 
yt$ft\i  was  so  unhappy,  as  to  lose  his  sight.  And  the 
Birinyh  reviewers  of  that  day,  with  their  wonted  sagacity, 
imagined  that  these  lines  were  intended  as  an  insult  upon 
him  for  that  misfortune;  thiukinfr,  as  we  may  presume, 
that  M'Fingal  foresaw  the  futur'^?  blindness  of  his  Loii- 
ship,  by  the  aid  of  his  secon.""  sigh'.  Their  abuse  of  the 
author,  as  wanting  candor  and  C'  .m non  sense,  need  not 
be  repeated.  In  a  subsequent  copy  of  the  poem,  he 
struck  out  the  name  of  Lor  i  North  and  inserted  t].at  of 
King  George — and  lo,  in  r.  few  years  mort;,  the  king  also 
was  afflicted  with  blindness.  To  prevent  all  fm  ther  mis- 
haps, the  lines  are  now  restored  to  their  original  form. 
See  the  Lond.  Edition  of  1792. 


i 


m 


180 


M'FINGAL. 


m 


'(  I 


With  mo  y  a  deep-drawn  sigh  and  groan, 
To  mourn  her  ruin,  and  his  own  ! 
While  joyous  Holland,  France,^,  and  Spam 
With  conq'ring  navies  awe  the  main ; 
And  Russian  banners  wide  unfurl'd 
Spread  commerce  round  the  eastern  world. 

And  see,  (sight  hateful  and  tormenting !) 
This  Rebel  Empire,  proud  and  vaunting, 
From  anarchy  shall  change  her  crasis, 
And  fix  her  pow'r  on  firmer  basis  ; 
To  glory,  wealth,  and  fiime  ascend, 
Her  commerce  wake,  her  realms  extend ; 
Where  now  the  panther  guards  his  den. 
Her  desert  fi>rests  swarm  with  men ; 
Gay  cities,  tow'rs  and  columns  rise, 
And  dazzling  temples  meet  the  skies : 
Her  pines,  descending  to  the  main, 
In  triumph  spread  the  wat'ry  plain, 
Ride  inland  seas  w  ith  fav'ring  gales. 
And  crowd  her  ports  with  whitening  sails  : 
Till  to  the  skirts  of  western  day. 
The  peopled  regions  own  her  sway." 

Thus  far  M'Fingal  told  his  tale. 
When  startling  shouts  his  ears  assail ; 
And  strait  the  Constable,  their  sentry. 
Aghast  rush'd  headlong  down  the  entry, 


M'FING  AL. 


181 


And  V  id  outcry,  like  magician, 

Dispel     a  the  residue  of  vision.* 
For  now  the  Whigs  the  news  had  found 
Of  Tories  must'ring  under  ground. 
And  with  rude  bangs  and  loud  uproar, 
'Gan  thunderf  furious  at  the  door. 
The  lights  put  out,  each  Tory  calls. 
To  cover  him  on  cellar  walls, 
Creeps  in  each  box,  or  bi:i,  or  tub. 
To  hide  him  from  the  rage  of  mob. 
Or  lurks,  where  cabbage-heads  in  row 
Adorn'd  the  sides  with  verdant  show. 


*  It  seems  unfortunate  that  the  vision  was  here 
abruptly  broken  off.  The  capture  of  two  British  fleets 
on  our  lakes  by  Commodores  Perry  and  M'Donough,  with 
the  naval  victories  of  Hull,  Decatur,  Bainbridge,  and 
other  American  commanders,  in  our  late  war  with  Great 
Britfan,  could  not  have  escaped  the  prophetic  second- 
sight  of  M'Fingal,  nor  lailed  of  due  commemoration,  had 
he  been  suffered  to  complete  his  detail  of  futurity.  H) 
would  probably  have  closed  his  vision  with  the  battle 
of  New  Orleans,  which  put  a  fatal  end  to  all  the  British 
dreams  of  conquest  of  America. 


either  tropic  now 

Milton. — Paradise  Regaii^. 
16 


'Gan  thunder. 


182 


M'FINGAL. 


w     ..i' 


M'FiNGAL  deem'd  it  vain  to  stay, 

And  risk  his  bones  in  second  fray : 

But  chose  a  grand  retreat  from  foes, 

In  literal  sense,  beneath  their  nose.* 

The  window  then,  which  none  else  knew, 

Ho  softly  open'd  and  crept  through. 

And  crawling  slow  in  deadly  fear. 

By  movements  wise  made  good  his  rear. 

Then  scorning  all  the  fame  of  martyr. 

For  Boston  took  his  swift  departure, 

Nor  look'd  back  on  the  fatal  spot, 

More  than  the  family  of  Lot. 

Not  Nortli  in  more  distress'd  condition, 

Out-voted  first  by  opposition  ; 

Nor  good  King  Geovge,  when  our  dire  phantom 

Of  Independence  came  to  haunt  him,t 


*  This,  during  the  American  war,  was  a  fashionable 
phrase  with  the  British.  No  officer,  who  had  a  lucky 
escape,  failed  of  stating  in  his  report,  that  he  made  a 
grand  retreat  under  the  very  nose  of  iae  enemy, 

f  On  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  ministerial 
speakers  in  P'a'iam.M.t,  amused  themselves  by  calling  it, 
the  pha7itom  of  Independence.  The  wit  was  echoed  by  all 
their  newspapers. 


M'FINGAL.  183 

Which  liov'ring  round  by  night  and  day, 

Not  all  his  conj'rors  e'er  could  lay, 

His  friends,  assembled  for  his  sake, 

He  wisely  left  in  pawn,  at  stake, 

To  tarring,  feath'ring,  kicks,  and  drubs 

Of  furious,  disappointed  mobs. 

Or  with  their  forfeit  heads  to  pay 

For  him,  their  leader,*  crept  away. 

So  when  wise  Noah  summon'd  greeting. 

All  animals  to  gen'ral  meeting, 

From  every  side  the  members  went, 

All  kinds  of  beasts  to  represent ; 

Each,  from  the  flood,  took  care  t'  embark. 

And  save  his  carcase  in  the  ark  : 

But  as  it  fares  in  state  and  church, 

Left  his  constituents  in  the  lurch. 

*  As  the  flight  of  Mahomet  to  Mecca  fixes  the  -.Era  of 
Mussulman  computation ;  so  the  flight  of  M'Fingal  to 
Boston  forms  the  grand  catastrophe  of  this  immortal 
work.  So  sublime  a  denouement,  as  the  French  critics 
term  it,  never  appeared  before  in  Epic  Poetry,  except 
that  of  the  Hero  turning  Papist,  in  the  Ilenriade  of 
Voltaire. 

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